Two Faced
by Torenza
Summary: COMPLETE To be accepted by demons Inuyasha has to kill Kagome-the prodigy girl who will one day kill all demons. He manages to get himself hired as her bodyguard, so who will be left to protect her from him? (but u know he won't get round to doing it)
1. The Welcome Back

Disclaimer: I don't anything other than my ideas. Please don't steal them - or I cry. And when I cry I make other people cry... and it doesn't look good... So don't steal my ideas and don't steal Rumiko Takahashi's characters or ideas! And remember! Stay in school kids!  
  
(A/N: So I couldn't wait until I finished my currently ongoing fic to start a new one. So I'll be writing intermittently a few at a time. Hopefully I won't lose the threads of my stories doing this and get confused. But at least this way people won't start getting sick of seeing the same fic of mine on the front of the ff.net Inuyasha page every time they log on. Sorry 'bout that ^_^ Anyway - here's a brand new story that I hope should be another ongoing one. So yeah - watch my amazing ability to juggle three stories at once and update them once a day... and watch people get pissed when I drop one... ^_^;; And yes, I do know that people can juggle fifteen stories at once - I just would never make a good clown.)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Two-Faced  
  
The Welcome Back  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Over half the city had gathered beside the port and were watching with anticipation as the smallish ship slid into view and docked at one of the nearer places at the water edge. There was barely a scrap of green grass visible at all through the heaving mass of people that had turned up to see THE girl. That's how they spoke of her. Not many people actually remembered her name.  
  
Kagome could already hear the crowds outside and suddenly felt very weak at the knees. It was difficult to adjust so fast. She'd just spent three lovely months on the coast at the other end of the country, away from all these people and staying with her humble mother. And now she was back in the thick of things... and not a single familiar face was travelling with her... and they barely wore a smile.  
  
"Miss Higurashi, it's time to go now." Her bodyguard gestured for her to follow him. He was new and she didn't really know him very well. In fact, not many of her bodyguards seemed to last at all long.  
  
But she followed him anyway through the doorway and onto the deck of the ship. A dizzying amount of noise suddenly thundered through the air from the crowds, making her want to stuff her fingers into her ears and run back inside. She only had a brief glance at the sea of heads out there before a tomato thumped against her cheek, making her stagger. But it hurt even deeper than it seemed.  
  
Her bodyguard finally took the initiative and stood in front of her as he led her down the steps to the tarmac walkway and began heading for the corridor that had been forged through the crowds. Countless numbers of police officers stood, pushing the crowds back with the help of several barricades and fences... but it was still a hard job. And here, closer to the crowds, Kagome found it even harder to dodge whatever was thrown at her.  
  
Sometimes roses were thrown at her... sometimes it was rotten fruit. They loved and hated her in equal amounts, and she kept telling herself that it didn't matter what they thought... she didn't have to care. But to her, all she could feel were the blows of soggy fruits and even pebbles and stones.  
  
It was only half a mile from the port to the road where her ride would be waiting to whisk her away. Not too far... but when your way was blocked with so many people it was a had task. Five rather tall men in suits walked around in a circle with her, almost hiding her from view and making her feel like she was in a tighter spot than she really was. They just weren't helping.  
  
Another airborne rose scratched a welt across her upper arm and another tomato slipped between her human shields and exploded above her ear, showering her with disgusting juice and seeds. Why did they all seem to hate her? She'd done nothing to them.  
  
After what seemed like an eternity she finally spotted her awaiting car up ahead on the road curb. Across the street there were more barricades and offers. She was nearly there... then she'd be safe...  
  
One woman suddenly managed to haul herself over the barricades and past the officers who were too busy holding back the rest of the crowd to go after her. She ran full tilt at Kagome who stopped suddenly, looking like a doe caught in headlights.  
  
"You murdering, bitch!" she woman screamed, about to crash into her. If it wasn't for the thirty or so bodyguards at Kagome's defence then she would have done just that. Instead she was caught and dragged away roughly by two burly men. "You'll rot in hell, bitch! You'll get what you always had coming!"  
  
Kagome watched her be dragged away with harder eyes then before. Only when the men around her started to tug at her elbows to get her moving, did she realise she had been stationary. And she followed them quickly, learning to block out the sounds of screaming and cheering around her. She occasionally caught the odd 'Do us proud, girl!' but somehow her ears were more likely to pick up 'Die, bitch!' instead.  
  
As she neared the limo ahead her personal bodyguard left her side and jogged ahead to open the side door and got inside. She saw him mouth the words, 'start the engine'.  
  
And so the driver did.  
  
A light seemed to engulf the area, making Kagome throw her hands up to shield herself, shortly before an amazing amount of heat and flame engulfed the car before her. The force of the explosion was enough the knock half the crowd down like dominoes and to throw Kagome and the other men down as well.  
  
Kagome curled herself on the ground, her heart beating a mile a minute. She peeked up again as the roar of flames died to a lower level and saw that very little remained of the car... or her bodyguard and driver...  
  
An eerie silence that belied the thousands of people along the coast swept around. No one spoke. Until a few moments later when a great roar broke out, even louder than the explosion. Kagome sat on the floor, staring with disbelief at her former ride...  
  
At least the police officers remembered to keep their posts as the crowd surged even harder against the barricades. Everything was rattling and shouting or in flames... and it was all at her. She was just one girl. How come they had wanted her dead so badly. That car bomb had been meant for her... there was no doubt about that. Whoever had set it had anticipated that she'd be inside the car before the engine started.  
  
Her bodyguards left her alone momentarily to run to the wreckage... and Kagome had never felt so vulnerable and small in her entire life.  
  
Then she noticed a little dot of red zip on her thigh before jerking to her chest and then was gone... presumably between her eyes. Kagome screamed shortly as she dived at once as a sharp crack split the air. A bullet ricocheted off the gravel behind her. "There's a sniper!" she yelled at the bodyguards who looked back at her at once. She pointed to deserted building opposite the car where the shot seemed to have come from. "THERE!"  
  
Five men shot off while the rest stayed behind and called for a back-up car. It had arrived within thirty seconds and she was loaded into the back before setting off a white knuckled speed through the street. God help anyone who broke through those barricades to get onto the road at that moment.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Inuyasha cursed as the girl below pointed to the building he was sitting on. Fortunately they thought he was inside and had broken down the door quickly while the girl had been whisked away before he could do much else. He almost made off at a lazy pace, jogging across the roof to leap across the gap between that roof and the next building. He covered the entire block before finally sliding down a drainpipe and dumping the sniper weapon in a trashcan. The garbage men would be around the next day and the gun would be crushed and deported elsewhere. He was about to turn and make a casual getaway when he bumped into something hard... namely his brother.  
  
"Oh look... you failed." Sesshomaru sighed, but he didn't seem to upset. "As if I should have offered much faith in the first place."  
  
Kouga materialised at Inuyasha's elbow, while Kagura arrived on his other side.  
  
"You were too early detonating the bomb." Kouga commented.  
  
"It was supposed to go off when the car started."  
  
"She wasn't in it though." Kouga smirked.  
  
"I noticed that." Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at Kouga before looking back at his brother. "I think I did pretty good with that thing considering you only have me one stick of dynamite, a computer chip, a piece of string, a pencil and a bit of gum."  
  
Kagura snorted and folded her arms. "You still missed a perfectly good shot of her."  
  
"She moved and pointed me out. What was I supposed to do?"  
  
"Shoot at her again?" Kouga replied smarmily.  
  
Sesshomaru drew himself up, chin high. "You know that you will never prove yourself worthy of the likes of our kind when you disgrace yourself as you have done today."  
  
"At least it'll get us noticed."  
  
"We're already noticeable, Inuyasha." Sesshomaru told him shortly.  
  
"Do I still get in?" Inuyasha asked quickly, with a hopeful note.  
  
"We'll see." Sesshomaru turned and stalked away, followed by Kouga.  
  
Kagura only hesitated a moment. "You did good, halfling."  
  
He curled his lip at her as she smirked and stalked away in her usual tomboy fashion.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Mr Higurashi looked up as his daughter entered after her numerous guards. She stood stiffly and proudly before him, even though she was dripping with tomato juice, her hair was wet and there were several cuts and bruises on her exposed skin. It pulled at his heartstrings.  
  
"Honey," he got up from his desk at once to pull her into a bear hug. She returned it briefly but pulled back. She obviously had something to say and she didn't want distractions.  
  
"Dad, I want to go back to the country with Mom." She said carefully, waiting for his reaction with resolute eyes.  
  
"You can't do that, Honey..." he frowned. "You know that your time is coming very soon."  
  
Kagome's determined pose faltered a little.  
  
"I'm sorry... about your new bodyguard as well." He sighed gravely. "And... I think it's time that we employed someone who knows what they've doing."  
  
Kagome sighed. "Not another guy from the agency... they just get bumped off weekly. No one wants to take the job anymore."  
  
"I'm not talking about those fuddy-duddies - they have no skill whatsoever."  
  
He said this in a room full of ten such men who exchanged annoyed glances.  
  
"Who else is better trained than they are?" Kagome asked, feeling apprehensive.  
  
"You know my business partner... Mr Kosaka?"  
  
"Yes..." she answered slowly.  
  
"Well he has this son..."  
  
"Oh no..." Kagome pulled away from him and started to pace slightly. "This isn't going to happen!"  
  
"But he's superb! He's a better candidate than anyone else."  
  
"Dad - I think all this money and power and destiny crap is clouding your judgement-"  
  
"Language, young lady." He said firmly.  
  
"He's my age! He can't do it!" Kagome protested.  
  
"So - you'll have a built in companion. You don't have any friends, do you?"  
  
Kagome winced. That remark was like a punch in the gut. She'd never had many friends... mainly because she'd been set on this pedestal away from every other child her age. She was sixteen now and she was still lonely. She glanced at the bodyguards, wanting to tell them to leave - since this was a private conversation. But that was no use. She'd tried that before and it hadn't worked.  
  
"I have Sango." She said at last.  
  
"The military General's daughter?" her father raised an eyebrow and scoffed.  
  
Kagome resented that. So, Sango may have been a little unfeminine when it came to attitude and career goals... but she was the nicest girl Kagome had ever met - and she didn't dress like a boy either. Why did her father insist that she was a tomboy?  
  
"You need someone who can protect you." Her father repeated.  
  
"I have these guys." Kagome gestured around at the neutrally expressional men.  
  
"But Mr Kosaka's son has strength that can equal fifteen of these guys! With him around you won't have to worry about snipers or car bombs - he'll detect them straight away."  
  
"Dad..." Kagome couldn't understand why her father could be so trusting. "He's a HALF demon!"  
  
"So? All the more stronger!" her father folded his arms over his silk tie.  
  
"So?!" Kagome gasped at him. "Who do you think I've been running from the past life time?!"  
  
"You're forgetting - he's also half HUMAN." Her father corrected her. "Demons killed his father and mother - of course he's on our side. He'll protect you from the likes of other demons."  
  
Kagome's hands fidgeted. "But not all humans like me either dad - he's not a good candidate."  
  
"Kagome... I don't want to see you hurt as a result of this prophecy." He moved forward to tuck a wet bang behind her ear. "You are the one who will deliver your people from the demons and clean the earth's surface of that nasty race. It's you're duty to protect everyone... and it's someone else's duty to protect you."  
  
"Dad..." Kagome whined.  
  
"So some people don't like he fact that you'll kill demons. They call it 'genocide'!" he rolled his eyes. "They don't understand what will happen if you don't."  
  
Kagome felt uncomfortable. Her father believed heart and soul in this so- called prophecy. Kagome couldn't care a flying fig about prophecies. She was no murderer - and she certainly had no intention of killing a whole race of beings... even if they were demons. But it was no point arguing with her father about this.  
  
"So it's settled, I'll call Kosaka right away." He had bustled off before Kagome could protest.  
  
She slumped down on the hotel room bed and eyed her bodyguards. "So... you guys got any change for a can of coke?"  
  
They said nothing.  
  
Kagome paused briefly before sighing and flopping onto her back with her arms over her eyes. When she looked up again they were still there. "I need to shower - beat it!"  
  
"We'll check the shower first."  
  
Great.  
  
And only half an hour later did she finally manage to get that shower she wanted. After the men had combed every tile in the bathroom for some sort of weapon or bug.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"Fucking bastard brother..." Inuyasha thumped his closet door angrily. "No fucking thanks for anything...!"  
  
He kicked it again, and winced as the wood crunched and a gaping hole appeared... "Shit..."  
  
"Inuyasha?" a voice called outside. "Can I come in?"  
  
He quickly kicked a footstool in front of the holy door and sat down quickly on top of it. "Yep."  
  
His father's secretary came in looking chipper and chirpy. "Good news. I just got off the phone with your father's business associate - Mr Higurashi."  
  
Inuyasha's blood ran cold. The girl's father... did they know it was him?  
  
"They want to offer you a job, a good paying one at that."  
  
"Oh..." Well, that was better than he had expected.  
  
  
  
  
  
(A/N: Got caught in a traffic jam in the school corridors. Got all squished and now I have bruises everywhere... ow... it hurts to type... T_T) 


	2. The Introduction

Disclaimer: see chapter one. 'I don't own Inuyasha' is what you'll probably find there.  
  
(A/N: It's Sunday... I'm grounded... and I can't go see my friends. I hate my parents and I think I'm going to call Child Line because they're making me clean the house. It's Abuse! Anyway, since I have a lot of time on my hands I get to write - my favourite hobby ^_^.)  
  
  
  
  
  
Two-Faced  
  
The Introduction  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kagome sat on the bed, cross-legged as she combed her freshly washed hair repeatedly. She was bored... so she hadn't much else to do.  
  
Her father was sitting at his laptop, half tapping out a letter and half chatting on the phone to one of his associates. Kagome sighed and continued combing her hair. Perhaps she'd be able to sweet talk one of bodyguards into buying her an ice cream tub from the restaurant downstairs... but one look at those guys and she reckoned she'd need much more than long lashes to get those lugs to leave her alone for five minutes.  
  
Soon, faint whistling could be heard from outside and Kagome glanced towards the window and spotted a window-cleaner rising up on the scaffolding to clean their window. He waved cheerfully and carried on whistling as he set about sponging the glass.  
  
"Thanks again - yeah... of course!... Bye now." Her father hung up the phone and sighed.  
  
Kagome watched him get back to diverting his full attention on the computer before him and rolled her eyes. "Dad?"  
  
"Yes, honey?"  
  
"Do you really think it's a good idea to send a kid to look after me?" she asked, for what was probably the fifth time that day. "After what happened yesterday at the port-"  
  
"Like I said - he's an unusual boy." Her father didn't even bother glancing round at her.  
  
Kagome thought 'unusual' was putting it lightly. "He'll get blown up immediately! How will Mr Kosaka thank you for killing his son then?"  
  
"He won't get blown up - don't be daft." Her father swivelled in his chair to face her.  
  
"The last guy did." She pointed out.  
  
Her father pulled a face. "He was incompetent."  
  
"Nice to know you honour the dead, dad." She said frostily.  
  
"Sorry, honey... would it make you feel better if you knew a little more about him?" he asked.  
  
"No."  
  
"Well, he's a little older than you-"  
  
"I know that - but I think you're missing my point here-"  
  
"Long white hair - half demon, you know."  
  
"I know! What I'm trying to say is-"  
  
"And an orphan."  
  
"I knew that... wait... no I didn't..." Kagome frowned at him and set down her comb to lean forward. "How come he's an orphan if his father's Mr Kosaka?"  
  
"I'm surprised you didn't know." Her father smiled teasingly. "His real father was a demon... not quite sure which one but a demon nonetheless. Married his mother and they had Inuyasha - and you know his mother."  
  
"Mrs Kosaka - that famous politician." Kagome had never been a huge fan of politics. She'd never liked the fact her father's work seemed to occupy all of his time.  
  
"Yes - and unfortunately when Inuyasha's father was killed by other demons, she eventually remarried to Mr Kosaka..."  
  
"Oh... so he's his stepfather." Kagome realised and sat back.  
  
"And then his mother was killed by demons... so you can understand how Inuyasha would want to help your cause?"  
  
"To commit genocide?" Kagome asked sarcastically.  
  
"He's more likely to embrace his human side, I assure you. He's been nothing but faithful to his step mother and step father." Her father ignored her remark.  
  
"Dad - I don't need a new bodyguard." She protested and stood up, looking out the window that was still being cleaned. "I've only ever been attacked four times in the space of fifteen years."  
  
"So what happens when it's the fifth time and I heeded your words and left you unprotected."  
  
"That wouldn't happen. If there wasn't so much protection around me then people wouldn't think that I was something that needed protection and try to hurt me." She saw her father's blank look. "I suppose..."  
  
"This isn't your decision, Kagome." He warned.  
  
"Dad, I can't go anywhere and have fun... I don't WANT another guard!" she clenched her fists and turned away from him. "I know we've been through this before but you just don't listen to me!"  
  
"Kagome! Demons are everywhere! They can disguise themselves as humans - they could be anyone! What you need is someone we can really trust to be faithful." He told her seriously.  
  
"How 'bout that window cleaner?" Kagome smiled and waved at the happy whistler. "But then again... he could be a demon too, right?"  
  
At her words the bodyguards present suddenly stepped in front of the window, blocking her from view, and got very puzzled looks from the cleaner. Kagome sighed and looked back at her dead sadly. "See? I can't even smile at anyone anymore..."  
  
Her father took pity for once. "Ok... look... if you agree to having Mr Kosaka's son, then he'll be the only bodyguard you'll need. The others can go."  
  
Kagome stared at him. "You mean that?"  
  
"It's what you want isn't it?" her father smiled sadly. "But you have to promise to stick by him and so on... no running away. He can protect you better than ten of these goons."  
  
There he went again, talking like the bodyguards were just machines to dispose of as he wished. Didn't these guys have feelings too? She glanced back at their vacant expressions. Maybe they didn't even have brains...  
  
"Ok... but just him - no one else." She nodded.  
  
"Agreed." He swivelled back to his laptop. "Now, I really have to concentrate on this letter I have to finish - try not to make too much noise."  
  
As if she was ever noisy. She'd been hushed up since she was a toddler, so that wasn't about to change. So she just sat back down on the bed and began to comb her hair all over again.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
This was just to perfect. How many people had the opportunity to be SO close to her...  
  
"So you're saying I should take the job?" Inuyasha frowned as he held the phone close to his ear and spoke quietly. "Even though she could kill me at any moment."  
  
"I doubt she would do that if she thought you were there to protect her." Sesshomaru replied evenly. Even though Inuyasha couldn't see his expression, he thought it was safe to assume it was totally deadpan. "But make sure you kill her the first opportunity you get. We can't have her continuing to live, understand?"  
  
Inuyasha just grunted a reply when he heard footsteps approaching down the hall. He didn't even say goodbye to his brother, he just hung up. Just then his father walked in with her personal assistant and his latest wife.  
  
"Ready to go, son?" he asked Inuyasha with a big smile.  
  
Inuyasha just rolled his eyes sullenly. "If I have to."  
  
His father's assistant and wife went off ahead as Inuyasha followed them. He was pulled to an abrupt halt when his stepfather's hand shot out and grabbed his shoulder firmly. "If you mess this up, you'll have a lot to pay for."  
  
"Meaning?" Inuyasha scowled.  
  
"Meaning you will be civil and polite and do your job correctly! Mr Higurashi is one of the most powerful politicians in the government - if you screw about with his daughter it'll be my head on the block, got that?"  
  
"Now there's a picture I'd like to see." Inuyasha shook him off. "Relax, I'm not an idiot. Do you know how much I'm getting paid for this?"  
  
"More than I earn in a month I expect." His father grumbled and shoved past him.  
  
"As if I'd want to screw around with that bitch." Inuyasha said quietly to himself.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Kagome tapped her fingers against her thigh nervously. She was all alone in her father's hotel room. Well... all alone except for the seven or so trained Neanderthals over there. But for the amount of conversation and company she got out of them, she might as well be alone.  
  
Suddenly the door opened and she glanced up as her father entered with a happy smile. He turned to the bodyguards. "You're all dismissed."  
  
'You're all fired' was another way of putting that and Kagome's dread increased. Out of her life went her current oppressors - and another one was about to come in.  
  
Once they were all gone Kagome found she could breathe a little easier... but then her father turned back out the door. "Alright, show them in."  
  
Kagome watched with a light frown as a few people she'd never seen before entered - probably business associates - followed by Mr Kosaka... and then the younger Mr Kosaka.  
  
Her heart stopped momentarily, and she felt her face heat up the moment his gaze landed on hers. It wasn't that she was flushed or embarrassed... it was just the way that boy was looking at her made her feel extremely uncomfortable.  
  
"Honey, this is Inuyasha Kosaka, the guy I told you about." Her father made her stand up. Kagome rolled her eyes, making a point to look away, as if she'd ever forget this guy with how much her father talked about him. "Inuyasha, this is my daughter Kagome."  
  
"Pleasure." Kagome said absently and stalk out her hand. There was a long, LONG pause before someone nudged Inuyasha forward.  
  
He rolled his eyes like she had just done. "It's all mine." He shook her hand bluntly.  
  
Nice cool palms... slightly warm, Kagome noted. He didn't seem as nervous as she was about meeting each other. She dared to look up briefly to check out his profile and noticed he was also making a point to look anywhere except at her. She took the brief opportunity to take in his features, noticing how strange and different he looked from both demons AND humans... yet he seemed a fine enough specimen in either case.  
  
His eyes snapped back to her and he scowled, making her flush and look away again. Anyone would think he despised her. But that was impossible, since they'd only just met and he was getting a LOT of money to guard her.  
  
"As I was telling you before, Kagome," her father turned to his daughter happily. "Inuyasha has excelled at all levels of physical endurance. He can even lift... say... seven thousand pounds with each arm?" he glanced at Mr Kosaka who nodded proudly.  
  
Kagome, feeling fed-up already, just flicked some lint off her sleeve and sighed. "I'm sure I've seen better."  
  
Inuyasha's distaste for Kagome was growing by the second. "Have you ever tried to lift seven thousand pounds before?" he scowled at her.  
  
"Can't say I have..." Kagome smiled placidly back.  
  
"Let's just say it's like lifting two elephants - one on each arm." He smirked.  
  
Kagome didn't let the surprise show on her face. She really hadn't been impressed... until he'd put it in lamen's terms for her. Instead she just quirked a smile and looked away. "I'm pretty sure a monkey in the same clothes could do the job just as well." She told her father.  
  
Her father smiled but mentally was banging his head against a brick wall. They hadn't been together five minutes before they'd been making jabs at each other... this didn't look promising.  
  
Mr Kosaka on the other hand was feeling much better. Chemistry! Was what he concluded was going on between the two.  
  
"So after what happened yesterday, Inuyasha, I've decided it's necessary for my daughter to have some special protection." Mr Kosaka said tightly. "I'm sure you'll do fine."  
  
"Oh yeah... the car bombing incident." He smiled lightly at Kagome. "Pure genius who came up with that plan."  
  
"Not really, seeing as the moron failed to kill me twice." Kagome tossed back, using anything to disagree with him on.  
  
The other adults in the room watched with their own mixture of growing dread and anxiety. At this rate they were going to be more worried about whether or not they would survive each other's company rather than any assassination attempts.  
  
"Well..." Mr Kosaka concluded. "I think we should leave you two to get to know each other better. Inuyasha - you're first assignment can be to escort Kagome to her room."  
  
"Yeah, like that would be hard." He snorted and started to lead the way.  
  
"You'll have no idea." Kagome muttered as she bade goodnight to the business people and idly followed Inuyasha, deliberately going slowly.  
  
When Inuyasha noticed she was lagging he turned with annoyance to face her. "What's the problem?" he asked impatiently.  
  
"Blisters..." she sighed loudly. "I walked a whole five metres by myself this morning and look where it got me..."  
  
She was only messing him around... damn... and his father was worried that he'd be the one doing it to her.  
  
"Would you get a move on? I don't have all night." He folded his arms impatiently as she gradually caught up and moved ahead of him. He followed her, making sure she didn't go off course. It occurred to him that she was less than a metre away from him... all he had to do was reach out... then he'd be a hero to thousands.  
  
Way to be obvious though. It wouldn't look good if she was mysteriously strangled after being ten minutes alone with him. And after the introduction back in there, there would be no way he would get off free for it. He could be patient and wait. But right now he was fast losing his patience with her speed.  
  
"Could you be any slower?" he hissed angrily and placed his hands on her shoulders to get her moving. Kagome genuinely flinched.  
  
"What the hell do you think you're doing! You can't touch me!" she yelped, twisting away from him quickly.  
  
"Watch me." He grabbed her arm and started to haul her along faster. "Which is your room anyway?"  
  
"Back that way." She grinned and jerked her head back the way they'd just been. "We missed the turn about five minutes ago."  
  
"Oh for the love of..." he dragged her back along the corridor.  
  
"You can't treat me this way!" Kagome half-cried out, but secretly she was just doing it to make him squirm. "I could have you done for abuse!"  
  
"Which room number?" he asked bluntly.  
  
"Eight, four, two." She said simply.  
  
He pulled them to a stop outside her hotel room and held his hand out for the card. She handed it over grudgingly and watched him open it for her. Then she noticed that he was expecting her to walk through the door first.  
  
"What?" she looked at him expectantly. "You don't expect me to walk in there first, do you? What if there's a mad axe man waiting behind the door to kill me?"  
  
"I can only hope." He remarked before shoving her through the door.  
  
Of course there wasn't going to be anyone in there, but Kagome made a point of looking around just in case, since it didn't seem to be high on Inuyasha's list of priorities. His priorities included the television and the sofa. Kagome just rolled her eyes as he made himself comfortable. He really had some cheek about him...  
  
"I'm going to bed." She remarked pointedly and flounced off.  
  
"Scream if anything happens." He called after her absently as she slammed her door.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
It must have been the middle of the night - just when Inuyasha was beginning to drift off to sleep after watching three hours of a German soap. He didn't fancy seeing much more of Hilda and Hans stealing babies from the hospital.  
  
Inuyasha's eyes were just about falling closed when a piercing scream jolted him from his doze. He was up in flash and had barged through Kagome's door before he was really awake yet. "What?"  
  
"Oh go away!" she growled. "I was just practising."  
  
Maybe he should rethink this whole idea of agreeing to be her bodyguard.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(A/N: I promise the whole prophecy thing will be explained better in later chapters ^_^) 


	3. Why Men Don't Like Shopping

Disclaimer: *cough, cough, hack, hack* Leave me alone...  
  
(A/N: I want to curl up and die... but now isn't the time. So, I'll carry on writing just for all the nice people who bother reading my stories. ^_^ Peace and respect to all of you! *sniff* Anyway, I have the whole story sorted out - it's going to be a little longer than my normally long stories... over twenty chapters at least. So there's little chance of me quitting now, but don't worry, I won't be quitting Shadow either ^_^)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Two Faced:  
  
Why Men Don't Like Shopping  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kagome yawned and stretched as she slid out of bed the normal way... and straight onto the floor. She made a mental note that silk night-gowns didn't sink well with silk sheets. It was abnormally quiet outside and she pattered forward to poke her head out of the door to see what was happening in the living room.  
  
Not much...  
  
She frowned slightly. Normally there would be no less than five or so men in grey suits standing around like mannequins, but refreshingly, today there was no sign of any doll men. She quickly remembered why after a moment and looked towards the sofa. Inuyasha was crashed out, snoring gently even though it should have been his job to rise early for her sakes. Not that Kagome was complaining at all...  
  
It was a nice change to be able to do things without anyone getting under her feet and doing it first. So she went straight to the bathroom to have a shower, glad that she didn't have to wait a full hour for Inuyasha to check for bugs and such.  
  
When she got out... he was still asleep... and it was starting to get on her nerves. So, feeling less than restrained, she padded forward, stood over him with her wet hair and squeezed the last of the water onto his face.  
  
"What the-" he woke with a start and sat up spluttering.  
  
"Oops, forgot you were there." Kagome said mindlessly as she went to the fridge. "You want some orange juice?"  
  
"Sure..." Inuyasha grumbled, rubbing his wet face with his sleeve.  
  
"Ok." Kagome shut the fridge and poured herself one glass of squash and put the carton back.  
  
Inuyasha glared at her. "Where's my drink?" he prompted as she sipped casually at her own juice.  
  
"I only want to know if you wanted some orange juice. If I wanted to get some for you I would have told you so." She smiled placidly and looked at her watch. "I'm off to get dressed - don't peek on me!"  
  
"And risk losing my breakfast? I think not." He scoffed as she disappeared with a faint growl of irritation.  
  
He went to get himself that drink and wondered what he was supposed to do all day. He was supposed to watch her twenty-four hours a day... so he really hoped she did something interesting.  
  
When Kagome came back out he narrowed his eyes slightly to check what she was wearing before glancing back to the TV set.  
  
"What do you think?" Kagome asked, giving a little twirl in her short summer dress with her hair tied up in a bun.  
  
"Very nice." Inuyasha grunted in the usual male response.  
  
"But you're not even looking." She folded her arms with a faint scowl on her face.  
  
Inuyasha glanced very, very briefly at her. "Very nice."  
  
"You mean that?"  
  
He snorted. "No."  
  
Kagome rolled her eyes. "Does my ass look big in this dress?" she asked sarcastically. Inuyasha grinned and was about to answer when his jacket was tossed over his head. "Get your stuff, monkey, we're going to go shopping." Kagome told him determinedly as she went to grab her bag and sunglasses.  
  
"Do you think that's wise?" he tugged the jacket off his head and set about setting his hair straight again.  
  
"Why not?" Kagome smiled. "I go shopping all the time."  
  
Actually, that was a complete and utter lie. She'd only been shopping three times in her whole life and each time had been a rather bitter disappointment. She'd been swamped by more than thirty men at her beck and call and the whole mall or shopping district had often or not been evacuated for her personal use. That just sucked. But now she had Inuyasha... and he didn't seem like the type to squeal on her to her father... he didn't know the rules like the other men did. He'd demonstrated that quite clearly when he'd touched her arm.  
  
"Come on." Kagome beckoned him from the doorway. "We can call a taxi down by the entrance."  
  
Inuyasha scowled and shrugged into his jacket. "Whatever..."  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"So what if someone recognises you and decides to knife you or something?" Inuyasha asked nonchalantly as they sat as far as possible from one another in the back of the taxi.  
  
"That's why we're paying you." Kagome replied with a small smile.  
  
"What if I let someone knife you."  
  
"Then that's why we'd fire you." Kagome replied equally as sweet. "Besides the chances of someone actually recognising me are pretty low, don't you think? Hardly anyone actually knows what I look like, 'cause my dad always works so hard to keep my photos out of the papers."  
  
"With good reason. Don't want to scare the kids now, do we?" he smiled patronisingly.  
  
"I'd be a lot more noticeable if I was with fifty bodyguards, though." Kagome continued to ignore his jabs. "That's why you're going to be SO handy."  
  
"You make me sound like a hanky or something."  
  
"You should be proud."  
  
Suddenly Inuyasha gasped and his hand flew to clutch his heart. Kagome frowned. "You having a heart attack?"  
  
Inuyasha pulled a phone from the breast pocket of his jacket. "It's just on vibrate."  
  
"Pity..." Kagome turned to look out the window. "They say odd things about men with vibrating phones..."  
  
He shot her a worried look before answering. "Hello?"  
  
"Is she dead yet?"  
  
It was his brother's voice. Inuyasha glanced up at Kagome who was continuing to watch the world fly by outside. "No."  
  
"You better hurry up. I just got faxed a copy of that prophecy she's supposed to act out and it looks like it will be happening soon. No matter what - she CANNOT go through with it, understand?"  
  
Inuyasha chose his words carefully. "What does it say?"  
  
"I can't tell you now. Maybe later. Just make sure you get rid of her."  
  
"When the time's right." Inuyasha said a little more forcefully than he'd meant. Kagome gave him a suspicious look right then.  
  
"We don't do this on your time, Inuyasha. You just carry out the orders, ok?"  
  
"Ok." Inuyasha kept his voice neutral but his face must have been contemptuous, for the moment he hung up Kagome was on his case.  
  
"Who was that?"  
  
"Just a friend."  
  
"Didn't sound like no friend." Kagome told him.  
  
For a moment he thought she'd heard what Sesshomaru had said, but then he realised he had a very expressive face and she'd seen how annoyed he could be at his older sibling. "Ex-girlfriend." He quickly made up.  
  
"An ex?" Kagome sounded surprised.  
  
"Is the idea that I've dated anyone so shocking to you?"  
  
"Yes." Kagome glanced out the window before leaning forward quickly and tapping on the glass. "Drop us off at this corner!"  
  
As soon as they were out of the taxi and had paid their fee - or rather Inuyasha had paid, he started to find it hard to keep track of Kagome. The crowds were amazingly thick - but it was a weekend after all. Practically half the country would be out shopping today, Kagome being no exception.  
  
He managed to follow her securely all the way to the entrance of the indoor shopping centre but as soon as they were through the doors, a throng of people passed on their way out... and Inuyasha lost sight of his charge.  
  
For a while he stood, looking all around, trying to find which way she had gone, but it was impossible. Everyone was wearing the same colours as Kagome and she was camouflaged. No doubt she didn't care if she'd lost him or not.  
  
"Oh shit..." he muttered, really worrying for a moment before realising. He didn't a toss actually. So she got lost? Big deal! He could always blame her when her father came to tell him off. It WAS her fault after all. She needed a lift home at the end of the day so she'd have to find him then... so he could just sit back and relax and have a bitch free day.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Kagome watched with satisfaction from outside the entrance as Inuyasha looked around for a moment before seeming to shrug and wonder away. She'd managed to fool him by slipping back outside with the mob of people that had been passing by. Now she could move freely without the old ball and chain.  
  
"I'm so smart!" she chided in herself and entered the mall again to go get some serious shopping therapy.  
  
But soon enough Kagome discovered just WHY she couldn't go shopping. She sucked at it. She must have been in about every shop inside the mall... but she couldn't find anything to suit her fancy. No shoes... clothes... accessories or music. Something must have been seriously wrong.  
  
She had plenty of money to burn holes in her pockets, bur after a while she was beginning to get bored.  
  
Kagome sighed as she rounded the corner into the food court and stopped dead. From here she could see Inuyasha sitting at one of the tables... or more like leaning against it since there were no more chairs to sit on, occupied as they all seemed to be by boys his own age.  
  
Dealing with Inuyasha was something she didn't plan on doing just yet, she still hoped to get a few more hours freedom before he would probably try and drag her back.  
  
So Kagome got her disguise on.  
  
Nope, no superman specs or anything cheesy like that. She just pulled her jacket on, let down her hair and put her sunglasses on. He would be looking for a girl with her hair up if anything, so this was a good way to sneak past him without him realising it.  
  
When she was sure she looked like a completely different girl she strode out around the corner with deliberate strides and headed for the ladies bathroom to get herself freshened up. It was in that little alcove with the fire escape just on the other side of Inuyasha's group. He was facing her way but he wasn't watching out for her so she had a good chance of escaping.  
  
She glanced along her path, knowing if she stared at him the entire way then he would inevitably look her way by chance and then she'd be caught. That's when she spotted the gang of youths coming the opposite direction. There was no way she was not going to get hassled by these lot... not when a couple of them had stopped talking and joking to watch her approach.  
  
She approached them, and for a moment she thought that they weren't going to let her pass by... but they stepped aside a moment or two too slow for her taste and let her go.  
  
Inuyasha shook his head slightly at his table and sighed. Who did she think she was kidding? She could change her hair but she wouldn't ever be able to change her scent. He recognised her the moment she passed the table. But he let her go... he didn't plan on leaving yet. Funnily enough, he didn't want to spend too much time around her either.  
  
He was just about to get on with his conversation when he noticed something strange. The gang that had just held up Kagome a moment ago had stopped and turned and were now following the same direction she was going in. That was no mere coincidence, considering those guys couldn't take their eyes off her.  
  
They were demon too.  
  
Anger surged through him at once and he shoved away from the table to stomp after them. No way was this golden opportunity to kill Kagome going to be taken away from him - not now he was so close! No crummy fortunate gang of pussies would take her away from him. This was his opportunity - not theirs!  
  
Kagome tried the ladies room door and found to her irritation that it was locked and the 'out of order' sign had been torn off. She cursed softly and turned to try elsewhere when she suddenly found her way blocked by six youths. This didn't seem good to Kagome... and she had trouble swallowing.  
  
"Can I help you guys?" she tried, not really sure how to handle this. She'd never been in this kind of situation.  
  
Maybe coming out had been a bad idea.  
  
"Sure you can help us, kid." One of the larger boys stepped forward and reached to curl one of her velvet locks around his finger.  
  
One thing Kagome couldn't stand above anything else was anyone touching her hair. She jerked her head away and glared at the boy who had reached for her. "Get your hands off me."  
  
"We heard rumours that you were supposed to be a boy." One of them said with a sneer at her. "Sure look strange for a boy."  
  
Kagome's heart clenched. They knew who she was... they knew she was Kagome Higurashi.  
  
"Come here and show us you're not a boy, prodigy girl." The one who had touched her hair now grabbed her wrist with enough bruising force and yanked her forward. Kagome gasped in surprise as she found herself tugged up hard against this much taller body. She'd never felt so much contact with someone else at once... and a giant blush shot straight to her face and fear made her gut feel cold. "Let me go!"  
  
"Not till you prove us wrong, babe." They laughed at her viscous little struggles to break free.  
  
Kagome twisted and turned, desperate to break free, but the guy holding her seemed unerringly strong... suspiciously strong in fact. She wouldn't be too surprised if he was actually a demon. But everything inside her was screaming to get away from them. How come no one was running to aid her yet? She was in a mall full of people for crying out loud!  
  
Then night in shining white hair finally arrived. "Hey! I think the answer to that question is pretty obvious."  
  
"Inuyasha!" Kagome called out with relief, but she still wasn't released.  
  
"She's obviously a girl despite her confusing appearance."  
  
"INUYASHA!" she ground out, a little more irritably.  
  
He sighed almost invisibly. "Ok, no more games, put the girl down."  
  
"And what would you do if we don't?" one of the youths challenged. "You're so weak you can't even disguise yourself properly."  
  
Definitely demons, Kagome thought suddenly. Demons hiding in human form.  
  
"Unlike you guys I don't need to worry about having to hide my face from humans. I'm not a coward." Inuyasha said easily.  
  
His comment sobered them at once and they glared at him, suddenly releasing Kagome and shoving her away. "You fucking traitor - sticking up for the likes of that witch!"  
  
Inuyasha scowled, quietly weighing the odds of his chances. Six against one... hmm... he didn't quite like those odds. But he was not about to let them take credit for Kagome.  
  
Kagome knew Inuyasha was dead... there went another bodyguard... and she really had hopes for him too. Never mind. But right then, she was slightly more worried about her own chances of getting out of this mess without too much damage.  
  
Just then one of the youths threw his fist at Inuyasha and Kagome squeaked and hid her face. She didn't want to see this. What followed was a series of thuds and grunts then a loud crash, some shuffling and a shout.  
  
"And fucking stay out!" Inuyasha yelled angrily as the rest of the gang scrambled out of the fire escape where Inuyasha had just previously tossed one of their own.  
  
Kagome looked up in surprise and found that they were alone and Inuyasha was standing above her with his hand held out. A sour look was rather imminent on his face.  
  
Kagome just gaped at him. He didn't look at all out of breath or scuffled up. How'd he done that?  
  
"Nice fish impression." He complimented her gruffly.  
  
Kagome quickly shut her mouth and stood up, ignoring his offered hand. Inuyasha sighed and lowered it. This girl was really more trouble than she was worth. He'd have to do it tonight... cause an accident or something, so people wouldn't question him.  
  
"Inuyasha?"  
  
He turned back at the tone in her voice and was about to say something when she suddenly latched onto him like a leech. He stood, arms out to the side as she hugged him fiercely around the chest, with a distinctly ticked off expression. "Oh... don't do that...!"  
  
"Thank you for saving me just then." Kagome mumbled into his chest.  
  
"And thank you for letting go of me." He forcefully prised her away from him and set her back. He suddenly grinned at her - and the sudden change of expression confused Kagome. "At least I'm not the one who has to go explain this to her father now am I?"  
  
Kagome blanched. "Oh dead god no..." Her father was going to kill her when he found out. Inuyasha wasn't going to let this slip unnoticed. He was such a jerk after all...  
  
"If you don't tell him," Inuyasha smirked. "I won't either."  
  
"You won't?" Kagome stammered, seemingly surprised.  
  
"Well... not until you do something to piss me off - then I'll tell him." He started for the fire escape. "So, you ready to go home yet?"  
  
Kagome nodded sheepishly as she followed him. Of course, the moment he opened the door for a second time the fire alarm went off and everyone looked in their direction.  
  
"Don't stop running till you get to the taxi!" Inuyasha quickly bustled her through and set off towards the main road.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(A/N: Next chapter should be up soon... to be called 'Bearers of Bad News') 


	4. Bearers of Bad New

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in Inuyasha... not that I'd want to own Kikyo in particular. Sorry, but I'm holding out hopes that she really is dead this time (for those of you who've been keeping up with the Japanese translations). There has to be a limit on the amount of times one girl can seemingly come back to life.  
  
(A/N: I still feel really ill right now... I've been chucking up all night and I've been stuck in bed all day and I have nothing to do. So what do I do? Yes, that's right! I go on the computer to give myself a headache... urgh... why is this machine so slow?!)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Two Faced  
  
Bearers of Bad News  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"I can't believe it..."  
  
"I know...  
  
"You - of all people being so stupid!" Kagome's father paced the length of his hotel room. Kagome sat on the bed, staring at her toes... she was all alone on this one. "You know you shouldn't go out without protection!"  
  
"I had Inuyasha." Kagome offered.  
  
"Thank god."  
  
"So you can blame him too." Kagome sounded hopeful.  
  
"Not likely, he doesn't know the rules like you do. This is entirely your fault Kagome. I'm disappointed in you." Her father said gravely.  
  
Kagome rolled her eyes when he couldn't see. Why did parents always have to do the whole guilt trip with the disappointment remark. It made her feel so ungrateful and... immature. Both of which she was definitely not.  
  
"The mall for Christ's sakes..."  
  
Kagome bit her lip. She hadn't intended for him to find out about her little trip out yesterday with Inuyasha but once the fire alarm had been tripped the security guards had recognised her and had gone running to Mr Higurashi. Little pigs...  
  
"And to think you are being so careless when the day of darkness is soon to approach..."  
  
At once Kagome's anger sparked to life. She'd had just about enough of this. "That's all you care about, isn't it?! Sod the fact that I was almost beaten up - or much worse - you could only care if I will still be able to perform this miracle!"  
  
Her father quickly tried to placate her. "You know that's not all I care about, honey!"  
  
"Then act like it for once!" she snapped.  
  
"Don't take that tone of voice with me, young lady." He said in his authoritative voice that had sent her scampering when she was small. The fact that he was trying to intimidate her now just got her more annoyed.  
  
"All you care about is whether or not I'll be able to commit murder and genocide in the end!"  
  
"Don't call it that! It's just... racial cleansing..."  
  
"Dad! That IS genocide!"  
  
Inuyasha stopped dead outside the room, he could hear raised voices from inside Mr Higurashi's room and by the sound of it Kagome was in a strop. No surprise, he thought, she was a spoilt brat anyway.  
  
He was about to continue on his way when he heard Kagome continue. "I WON'T be a part of this! I WON'T kill demons just for the sake of a scrap of paper!"  
  
"Kagome - you know this is no mere scrap of paper!" her father thundered.  
  
"Whatever - it's a sacred scroll - do I look as if I give a damn?!"  
  
"Don't use that language with me, Kagome!" he snapped.  
  
"The man who made up that prophecy was a man in a mental institute dad! How much respect should I hold for him?" Inuyasha could hear Kagome was pacing inside. "He makes up one lousy story in the future and suddenly the world falls at his feet!"  
  
"He was no ordinary man, Kagome! He went insane when he envisioned his family being killed in a car crash - and only a day later his family was killed in a coach trip!"  
  
"A COUCH trip! There's a difference!" Kagome was shouting so loudly her voice was going a little hoarse. "So he got a few lucky estimates of what could happen."  
  
"He prophesised six disasters after his death - including what would occur at his own death." Kagome's father told her calmly. "He has never guessed wrong or has once ever been off the mark. You shouldn't take this lightly."  
  
"He hated demons - what if he was making it up?"  
  
"How could he? He didn't even know me or you but he writ down your name and what would happen on the day of darkness."  
  
"That I will lead the world into light." Kagome shook her head. "It sounds corny, dad."  
  
"But it's true." He'd memorised this prophecy off by heart. "the day of darkness is nearly at hand and it will take place in the southern territory... across the forest border that divides the country."  
  
"How can anything happen there? Everything's so primitive and old fashioned." Kagome pulled a face.  
  
"Demons infest those areas - the demons who can't hide their forms in a human guise. They dwell in the forests and they come out at night to raid the towns and cities in the Southern territory. Anything to do with demons will happen down south... every day there is a day of darkness."  
  
"This still should have nothing to do with me." Kagome sat back on the bed, folding her arms and crossing her legs stubbornly. "I never asked for this..."  
  
"Kagome... demons kill countless numbers of people each year... something has to be done to stop them. You are that something. Why can't you understand?" her father sounded pleading.  
  
"Because a crazy old man just suddenly woke up one morning and decided to choose my fate! Because of him I live everyday in this proverbial cage! I can't go out! People hate me - they try to kill me! And those who love me only love me because I'll commit murder to an entire race!" Kagome snorted with disgust. "They all sicken me."  
  
Inuyasha was slightly surprised. He really should have gone on his way by now... but he would have missed this little conversation. How come the witch bitch didn't want to kill anyone? It was well known that she couldn't wait until the day she killed everyone...  
  
Though that could have just been a rumour...  
  
Kagome's father sighed again and knelt before her, taking her hand, only to have it snatched back angrily. She was mad at him... he understood that. "Kagome... the people in the South need help - they need you. I... I'm going to go down there tonight with some of the other MPs and we're going to try and sort out their problem... I want you to come with me."  
  
"So I'll be in the right place for my appointment?" Kagome asked scathingly.  
  
Her father said nothing, confirming her suspicions.  
  
"I'll be staying here then." Kagome said quietly. "Hope you have a nice holiday."  
  
The pregnant pause dragged on for a moment or two before her father stood.  
  
Inuyasha chose that moment to enter, expression neutral. "What's going on? Could here you two squawking all the way down the hall."  
  
"Goodbye, Inuyasha." Kagome's father brushed past him on his way out. "Look after Kagome."  
  
Inuyasha watched him go with a feigned confused expression. Once the door was shut he turned back to Kagome, about to ask what had just happened - just to make it look convincing. But he stopped himself when he saw that she'd flopped down face first onto the bed and was shaking with silent sobs.  
  
Nothing made him feel more awkward than wet eyes... so he decided it was best to leave her be for once.  
  
"It's ok, you don't have to go." Kagome said as if reading his mind. She sat up, clutching a pillow to her chest while wiping the tears from her eyes.  
  
"I thought you and your dad were close." Inuyasha remarked, unsure what to do with himself.  
  
"We are... it's just been a little stressful lately... with those attempts on my life and the whole dawning of the prophecy." Kagome's voice squeaked slightly, having thoroughly wrecked it through yelling and crying.  
  
"Oh that thing." Inuyasha acted as if it wasn't very important to him... while in actual fact he'd never been allowed to forget it.  
  
Kagome looked up at him slowly, her eyes a little calculating. "There's something about you..."  
  
"What?" Inuyasha asked a little too quickly.  
  
"You... everyone says you're faithful to my cause..." Kagome said a little cynically, causing Inuyasha to worry slightly. Was she on to him?  
  
"I am." He nodded his head firmly.  
  
"But you don't like me... do you?" Kagome frowned. "Don't worry, I won't be offended if you admit you don't like me... the feelings mutual."  
  
"Oh thanks..." Inuyasha found himself almost automatically sitting down on the bed, but with a nice big gap between him and Kagome. "I don't like you at all in that case."  
  
"Dad says that your father and mother were killed by demons... so why would you be against my cause?" she was leaning forward slightly.  
  
Inuyasha had gone very still. He smiled sarcastically and was about to correct her... before realising that would be a very stupid idea. If she knew that it was actually HUMANS who had killed his real parents then she'd never trust him... he'd be lucky if she didn't eject him right away.  
  
So instead he settled for the Disney version with the happy ending she liked. "I'm all for you killing demons... I hate them... every single one of them... I just don't like you is all."  
  
Kagome narrowed his eyes. She'd really been expecting something more substantial that just 'I don't like you, so there'. She'd been expecting hidden conspiracies and deep emotional wounds inside... but hey, this was real life! Those things only really happened in fairytales and Soap operas (which are very closely related).  
  
Kagome went off to her own room to get ready for bed, while Inuyasha trailed along after her, deep in his own thoughts.  
  
This put a whole new spin on things. The day he'd found out that human activists had killed both his real mother and father he'd turned to the person he had always been taught to hate... his brother. Sesshomaru had told him the truth about his Stepfather and all the things humans would do to rid their world of demons. It had only been natural to fall into step alongside his brother's kind then.  
  
He'd learned Sesshomaru was operating head of a cell - a group of demon activists that worked against Humans... run by some mysterious demon who lived deep within the dividing forbidden forest that separated the northern territory from the southern. Inuyasha had, of course, want to join their cause... but to do that he had to be the hero to save all demons and kill this one little girl before she killed every demon alive.  
  
He was ok with that... until now...  
  
He glanced up and saw her walking ahead. She was still carefully rubbing away the last of the moisture from her eyes. She didn't seem so formidable at this range... she was so small and... weak... how could she destroy an entire race?  
  
Plus she was sharp-tongued and had a rather twisted sense of humour... he'd totally underestimated that she'd have any character at all. But here she was as large as life, and as totally opposed to killing demons as much as the people who hated her for it. It surprised him a little...  
  
Actually, it surprised him a lot. Now he didn't know what to do.  
  
In fact... he even felt a tad guilty for trying to kill her before... but he still had to do what he had to do...  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"Knock, knock!"  
  
Inuyasha looked up from the TV to the door of Kagome's hotel room. "Who the hell says 'knock, knock' when they knock on the door?"  
  
Kagome suddenly seemed very happy. "Who's there?"  
  
"Yodel lady." Came the reply.  
  
Kagome ran to the door. "Yodel lady who?" then pulled open the door.  
  
A total stranger stood there smiling in at the other girl. "Hey! You can yodel!"  
  
"Hey Sango!" Kagome lurched forward to embrace the other, slightly older looking girl.  
  
"Hey, Kagome." The girl pulled back eventually. "Look how much you grew!"  
  
"What are you doing here?" Kagome was over the moon apparently. "I heard you were in the Southern territory with your dad."  
  
"He brought us back a little while ago - I would have been to see you but it's been a little busy around dad's work - he didn't have time." Sango explained, inviting herself in. "He's here to speak to your dad's friends though - they're in the lobby downstairs."  
  
"Why dad's friends?" Kagome frowned.  
  
"Dunno, he didn't say why he was coming here." Sango shrugged then spotted Inuyasha for the first time. "Oh look - have your bodyguards kicked your friend out yet."  
  
"He's not my friend - and he IS my bodyguard." Kagome explained with a distasteful glance back at Inuyasha. They'd had another argument that morning over who got to use the shower first and the day before it had been about the sleeping arrangements. Poor, fragile little Inuyasha was getting a bad back from sleeping on the sofa. Kagome would normally have complained to her father about this, but he'd left for the Southern lands yesterday.  
  
At the mention of 'not my friend' and 'bodyguard', Sango was able to piece a lot of information together. Meaning he wasn't taken, he was good-looking and very likely quite nice and fit. Kagome could have sworn she heard a little hum of appreciation from Sango and smiled.  
  
"You know - he can lift an elephant with each arm?" Kagome said idly, earning a glare of Inuyasha. "Or a monkey with each arm... I forget."  
  
"Anyway - dad sent me up to tell you to come down. He has news for you or something like that." Sango smiled, then glanced towards Inuyasha. "You coming?"  
  
"As always." He heaved himself up out of his cushy dent that he'd made in the sofa and followed the two girls out of the room and down the hall, heading for the stairs. He made gossipy gestures with his hands behind their backs at they chattered away like old friends... which they probably were.  
  
Women...  
  
When they entered the lobby a rather sudden hush went around and lots of people in military suddenly rose to their feet and took of their hats... looking pityingly at Kagome.  
  
Kagome noticed how everyone suddenly seemed to fall silent and stopped dead. It sounded like something bad had just happened.  
  
General Taijiya, Sango's father, rose slowly from his seat and looked gravely at Kagome. "Miss Higurashi..."  
  
Inuyasha frowned at the unfolding scene. Someone had just died... that was obvious. Military always informed family members like this... which meant... he suddenly found the floor that much more interesting than what was going on.  
  
"What's happening?" Kagome asked, the confusion clear in her tone.  
  
"We're sorry... it's your father..." General Taijiya said softly.  
  
For a long while nothing was said as Kagome tried to process this. Then her knees failed her and the floor came rushing up to meet her swimming head. They would have connected with each other if Inuyasha hadn't caught her just in time.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(A/N: Next Chapter 'Isn't it Ironic?'.) 


	5. Isn't it Ironic?

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha... no matter how much I'd like to... maybe I could hire him to be my sex monkey for the day... or maybe not...  
  
(A/N: Luckily I feel a little better now... which is great because it now means I can get out of the house from time to time and be with my friends. My parents seem to like fighting with each other a lot these days and grounding me if they catch me around... so be warned, I may not update so much these days as I'll be out of the house and away from the computer most of this week - it's a holiday after all!)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Two Faced:  
  
Isn't it Ironic  
  
(like the song by Alanas Morisette ^_^ (you'll get it in a minute))  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Inuyasha sat, bouncing a stale muffin against the opposite wall in the hotel corridor. When it cracked and crumbled onto the floor after a few bumps of this treatment, he simply got another one from the tray beside him.  
  
The sobbing inside Kagome's room grew a little quieter and he stopped bouncing his muffins for a moment to listen intently. The rooms were nearly sound proof... and Sango and Kagome weren't yelling like Mr Higurashi had been before, so now he couldn't hear much more than muffled conversation.  
  
Then the crying started again.  
  
So Inuyasha continued to bounce his muffin sullenly, quickly growing bored. He had to stand guard like the 'dutiful' bodyguard he was while Sango comforted her friend. Not that Inuyasha actually wanted to be inside with a weepy woman... he'd much rather bounce muffins actually.  
  
Eventually he came across a really tough muffin that refused to crumble even after he's knocked it ten times against the wall and had it roll across the carpet a few times more.  
  
Sango suddenly jerked the door open and stepped out. "She's still crying."  
  
"I noticed." It was hard to ignore.  
  
"Do you want to comfort her or anything...?" Sango offered, she looked desperate. The poor girl was finding it hard to cope.  
  
Inuyasha just gave her a look that clearly said 'do I look like a moron to you?'.  
  
"Thought so..." she spotted his special muffin in his hand and her eyes lit up. "Hey! That might cheer her up! Can I have it?"  
  
Inuyasha gave it to her cheerfully enough and listened carefully as Sango went back inside and came it to Kagome. There was a loud thump that suggested Kagome had bitten into it and decided to throw it against the wall just behind him.  
  
He smirked a little... before remembering WHY Kagome was crying, and sobered a little.  
  
She'd just lost her father. And what was worse, no one knew if he was dead or not or was lying in a ditch somewhere dying slowly. His plane that had been flying over the forest to the Southern territory had been sabotaged and had crashed rather suddenly. Obviously, whoever had sabotaged it had expected Kagome to be inside the plane too... unfortunately that wasn't the case. Now Kagome was pretty much alone.  
  
Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably and started twiddling his thumbs. This brought up bad feelings of when his mother had died in a similar fashion... a sabotaged vehicle...  
  
A maid passed by at some point over the next hour or so and tutted at the crumbs all around Inuyasha who just smiled placidly until she was gone before making a rude gesture in her direction. This place needed better staff. Where were their manners and their cooking skills?  
  
Just when he'd reached the limitation of his boredom he decided to get up and go downstairs to find some action, at that precise moment the door to Kagome's room opened she came storming out. She passed him without a word, obviously having some destination in mind. Sango followed quickly after and Inuyasha took it upon himself to find out what was going on.  
  
"What's going on?" he asked - the best way to find out just what he wanted to know.  
  
"She's going to the Southern Territory... to find her father." Sango said absently over her shoulder .  
  
Inuyasha's steps faltered slightly. All he'd heard was 'she's going to the southern territory' a very, VERY bad thing. If she was going south then that meant she'd be in the right place to perform the prophecy... shit...  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Sango's father asked as he marched across the tarmac with his daughter and Kagome. Inuyasha trailed somewhat sullenly behind.  
  
"I need to find him." Kagome said, full of determination and... fear...  
  
"There's little chance of his survival." The General warned.  
  
"The plane crashed near the edge of the forest, nearer the south - into the trees. It was a small plane, it shouldn't have been completely destroyed." Inuyasha spoke up, kicking himself mentally for offering that.  
  
"Exactly." Kagome flashed Inuyasha a quick smile that he didn't return. "That's why I have to go over there and find him."  
  
"We're sending a search party anyway - you don't have to go with them, is all I'm saying." The general said again, though everyone knew that he wanted her to go, for the sake of the prophecy.  
  
"I'm going." Kagome said again.  
  
"Good luck. The party is waiting on the plane for you." The General turned and brushed past Inuyasha somewhat carelessly on his way back. Inuyasha just glared at the man and carried on following the two girls across the runway towards the small plane that was starting its engines already. Sango was going for emotional support for Kagome. Inuyasha was going because he had a job to do... for his cell, not for Kagome.  
  
He was running out of time.  
  
Kagome started to ascend the steps onto the plane with Sango, but just as Inuyasha was about to get on his phone started to vibrate with a text message. The airhostess kindly waited for him to read it before telling him to turn it off during the flight.  
  
It had been from his brother. More orders to finish his job quickly... people were getting impatient with him.  
  
He happily turned it off and entered the plane. At once he was greeted with an array of different people... mostly military and a couple of doctors. The hostesses showed them to their seats before leaving the plane as it began to take off.  
  
Kagome was seated next to Inuyasha, and obviously didn't like flying by the way her fingers gripped the armrests.  
  
"Scared?" he smirked as the plane started to pick up speed for take off.  
  
"No..." she replied tightly.  
  
"Then why have you got your eyes closed?"  
  
"Checking for holes in my eyelids, ok?" she hissed back.  
  
It took a few moments for the plane to lift off the ground and gain a little altitude - all done at a very fast speed that Inuyasha thoroughly enjoyed!  
  
When they were safely up in the air they could take off their belts and stand up. At once a strange young man appeared at Kagome's side in his military fatigues and a nice big charming smile on his face.  
  
"Miss Higurashi - allow me to introduce myself. I'm Miroku Houshi, of the marines - I'll be guiding the search party for your father." He bowed slightly and lifted her hand to kiss it.  
  
Inuyasha did NOT miss Kagome's faint blush and he certainly noticed the way Miroku's lips seemed to linger on her hand a little too long for his taste. He glared at the other guy, her certainly had a lot of nerve for a first meeting. Ah - but then the twat noticed Sango! Much better!  
  
"Miss Taijiya - what an honour. Your father is great man - he talks a lot about you." He reached for her hand.  
  
"Yeah? He sure talks a lot about you too, Major Houshi." She whipped her hand back with a forced smile.  
  
Now there was something Inuyasha liked to see in a girl. Pity Kagome was more susceptible to fake charm.  
  
"Anyways, allow me to introduce you to the rest of the group." Miroku turned abruptly and looked towards the rest of the soldiers that were midst talking to one another. "That there is Lieutenant Hojo, Lieutenant Kenji, Cadet Shippo, Cadet Rin and..." he waved vaguely at the others. "Forgotten their names but that's not important because they're airforce! No one likes airforce."  
  
"My father's airforce." Sango interrupted suddenly.  
  
"But they're a great lot... really." Miroku added quickly with a smile at Sango who just scowled.  
  
Inuyasha probably would have liked to start up another bicker with Kagome at that point, but she was slightly busy introducing herself to all the of the members of the search party and thanking them. And when she was done talking to them she discovered the wonders of in-flight movies. And they were showing Casablanca.  
  
"How can you like it? It ends up badly." Inuyasha griped as Kagome sat patiently in her seat with her earphones on. "You know what's going to happen so why watch it?"  
  
After a brief pause Kagome turned to him and plucked her earphones off. "You say something?"  
  
"Nevermind - I'm going to get a drink." He stood up and headed down the aisle, noting that Sango was really hitting it off with Miroku... 'hitting' being the operative word.  
  
He passed them without much bother but suddenly found his way blocked by a girl who suddenly stood up in her seat and into his path. When she turned to face him he realised it was Kagome. "How the hell did you move so fast?"  
  
"Sorry?"  
  
"You were just sitting back..." he glanced over his shoulder - Kagome was still there sniffling at the movie oblivious to everything around her. He glanced back at the girl in front of him. "Oh no... not twins..."  
  
"Oh - you mean Kagome." The girl nodded. "I'm her stunt double, Kikyo Kuonji. And you are...?"  
  
"Inuyasha Kosaka." He didn't bother shaking her offered hand. He could only just stand the one Kagome - he didn't need her double to contend with either.  
  
"A demon?" she raised an eyebrow suspiciously.  
  
"Half." There was something about this girl... she looked so much like Kagome... but if he actually stepped back right now and compared the two... they didn't seem that much alike already. Kikyo seemed to be a little more calmer, older and elegant than Kagome who was still such a kid inside. He knew that much from having to tolerate her for the last few days.  
  
"Interesting." She nodded once and spoke in that slightly deeper tone than Kagome's. "I'll see you around, Inu."  
  
"It's Inuyasha."  
  
"Mm hm." Kikyo shrugged and carried on along her intended path. Inuyasha watched her go suspiciously, and saw her exchange a small nod of the head as she passed Kagome, as a greeting.  
  
That was too freaky. He shivered and looked around, checking that there was no one to witness what he was about to do. He was a little unsure of whether or not he should do it... but he could already see it in the prodigy girl. Her father had just been killed by demons... naturally she wanted revenge... even if she was against killing demons.  
  
He'd seen it happen enough times to know how she would react to this. He'd seen it happen in himself. And he had to stop her before she got to the Southern Territory... even if he had to risk everyone else too.  
  
They wouldn't have any idea what had hit them.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Sango watched with a light frown as Kagome seemed to get along particularly well with the men on board. She'd never noticed it before... but Kagome was actually a bit of a flirt... not in the bad sense. She probably didn't even realise what she was doing - it was all harmless to her.  
  
But Sango noticed the way she'd managed to become the focus of attention in the group the moment she'd come up to them and was joking and laughing with them like she was a natural Miss Popular... Sango hadn't known it because Kagome's father had never really let Kagome mix with others.  
  
But it made Sango slightly envious of her natural ability to blend well with others... that was just plain confidence. She wished she could have it herself... but she was that much more shier than Kagome... especially when certain Majors tried to hit on her.  
  
"Keep walking." She said flatly as Miroku had stopped and opened his mouth to speak to her. Once she'd rejected him flat our before he'd spoken he'd just shrugged and went to join Kagome's group. A deeper frown tugged at Sango's forehead.  
  
"Watch out, you'll become an old woman tomorrow if you keep those lines coming." Kagome's bodyguard slipped into the seat behind her, apparently busy cleaning his hands of something black and sticky. Sango didn't bother to pry much further into what it was since she was miffed that he'd even noticed her frown.  
  
Inuyasha quickly finished washing the remaining oil off his hands and glanced sideways at the crowd that had gathered around Kagome. They were all chattering away happily, swapping gossip and all kinds of subjects. He frowned just like Sango had done when one of the young men gestured for Kagome to lean down so he could whisper something in her ear. She complied and after a few moments of listening she suddenly pulled out the pin in his armrest, making him nearly fall onto the floor at her feet.  
  
Kagome's silvery laughter joined in the rest and she scolded the guy teasingly.  
  
"What a slut..." he heard a comment from behind him. He didn't have to turn around to know it was the other girl - Kikyo.  
  
Suddenly the whole plane gave a lurch and a rumble and at once all happy chatter died in everyone's throats and they gripped the seats they were closest to. But the plane kept jarring as though they'd just met some heavy turbulence.  
  
The pilots quickly spoke up through in intercom. "Would all passengers return to their seats and put their seatbelts on." it wasn't a request, and there was no explanation... meaning it was probably serious and not just regular turbulence. Inuyasha set his mouth grimly and fixed his gaze stoically on the seat before him. Kagome quickly hurried to sit beside Inuyasha and snapped her belt on as the plane continued to rock and shiver.  
  
"What's happening?" she whispered.  
  
"We're crashing." Inuyasha replied evenly.  
  
Kagome's breath rushed in with a gasp and Sango clicked her tongue impatiently. "Don't scare her like that!"  
  
Inuyasha shrugged and turned away to look out the window. He could see nothing but clouds rushing past at high speeds... lots of black clouds...  
  
There was a sudden rather loud bang and half the plane jumped in their seats and looked out the windows to the right... the engine was now smoking and severely... and then the other one went too.  
  
Kagome gripped her seat tightly and clenched her eyes shut... she didn't need to look out the windows to know the trees seemed to be rising fast to meet them. Inuyasha, however, seemed much calmer than everyone else. But this was one situation he wouldn't be able to protect her from.  
  
"A little ironic..." Kagome managed to speak loudly enough over the roar of burnt out engines and rumbling winds.  
  
Inuyasha glanced at her with an odd expression, something she thought was a tear between confusion and worry. Well at least he was a LITTLE worried about this after all...  
  
In front of them Kagome could see that despite their earlier friction, Sango had latched on rather securely to Miroku's arm and shoulder, and he had his hand tensed on forearm with his eyes closed. They both looked terrified.  
  
Kagome couldn't stop the breathless little sob rise in her throat - this was it! They were really going to die... after all these times of escaping with her life by the skin of her teeth... she was going to die in a plane crash of all things... But there was so much she hadn't done yet - so much she had planned to do and now she wouldn't get the chance.  
  
She'd been planning on going out with Sango next week to get that black top from the designer outlet in the mall she'd spotted... she'd never get it now... she'd never wear it either.  
  
People say that when you're about to die, your life flashes before your eyes - that was a load of bull in Kagome's opinion. She couldn't remember a stitch about what she'd done in the past... all she could feel was regret at what she'd never be able to do in the future as the plane sliced lower through the air so it was no longer in the clouds.  
  
Another little sob rose in her chest and at once she found a pair of nice warm, strong arms wrap around her and tug her close. She opened her eyes with a start to realise it was Inuyasha. The noise being emanated now was too loud to ask what he was doing - he just pushed her head under his chin and held her tightly with his own eyes squeezed tightly shut.  
  
He was doing his job, she realised. Inuyasha was going to protect her the best way he could... she could have cried... and so she did...  
  
She didn't understand though, when he whispered something quietly in her ear. "I'm sorry..."  
  
With a jarring smack they hit the canopy of the trees, lurching everyone in their seats and causing the belts to constrict painfully. They were all but thrown around as the plane turned and tumbled through the tops of the trees - the thrashing growing wilder as they turned upside down completely and skidded along.  
  
The last coherent thought Kagome had before they hit the proper tree trunks was...  
  
'I'm going to die a virgin!'  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(A/N: Ok - I think I'll clean out my hamster (my muse) now ^_^ Next Chapter - 'One Blond Joke Too Many') 


	6. One Too Many Blonde Jokes

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha...yet I STILL plan to blackmail viz. or something...  
  
(A/N: Bad things happening to me right now... I saw my ex yesterday... with this little red head (totally fake red if you ask me) sitting on his lap. I was totally unprepared for this huge big fat green thing called the jealousy bug to come up and bite me! Argh! I hate that!  
  
Anyways, like I said I've been busy (mostly trying to devise evil schemes to make ex jealous), but I've also been writing... while I should be revising for my mocks... oh well... I'll probably have to take a break soon, for a few weeks at most to do my exams and revision. Then I'll be back... until next April when I have to do the real exams and work twice as hard as I should be doing now. The only thing I think I'll pass will be English lit.... I'm doomed T_T)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Two Faced:  
  
One Too Many Blonde Jokes  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kagome had been drifting in and out of consciousness for quite some time before she began to realise that she was in a bad situation. That pulled her fully awake amazingly quickly.  
  
Pain was shooting up right leg and left arm... and the memory of the crash came flooding back, along with small flashes of smashing glass and metal... Sango screaming... Inuyasha being ripped from her side and that was all.  
  
Kagome glanced above her and realised with a shock that she was looking at the forest floor... the entire roof of the plane had been ripped off like a tin of sardines and was now completely upside down. It was a great relief since she could get a little claustrophobic at times... but this meant she could escape.  
  
She moved to unfasten her seatbelt with her left arm... but quickly realise it wasn't obeying. She took a look to see why... and wished she hadn't. It was literally hanging at a very odd angle from the shoulder, but it didn't look broken. It was dislocated. Kagome swallowed the pained cry in her throat and looked down at her foot. It was numb and trapped between the floor and the seat before her, which had been Sango's seat.  
  
The fact that Sango wasn't there anymore was more alarming than the fact her foot was trapped. "S-Sa..." Kagome coughed, but it felt like her lungs were coated in tar... probably from inhaling too much smoke from the engines. It hurt to speak and her mouth was very dry, but she called out regardless. "Sango?" she croaked. "Inuyasha - Major Houshi?"  
  
There was no answer, and as she looked around she could see that she was alone. Where had they all gone?  
  
Kagome thought a moment about undoing her belt, but realised that would be a bad idea considering she'd fall with a dislocated arm and a sprained ankle. She might not even fall - she could be pinned to the plane wreck hanging only by her foot.  
  
But she had to do something soon otherwise she would pass out again... the blood was rushing to her head from hanging upside down too long. She fought futilely to pull her foot loose for a few minutes before giving in to the edging darkness that surrounded her vision.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Inuyasha lifted his head the moment he came around and looked around in bewilderment. "I made it..."  
  
He hadn't expected that... he'd expected to die beside Kagome. But here he was, sitting in a puddle of mud that had broken his fall, with all sorts of wreckage rubble lying here and there around him. The bulk of the plane lay a short distance away suspended above the ground in vines and branches of the tall ancient trees. It seemed to have been ripped in half, and a lot of the occupants were now lying, sprawled around the clearing underneath it.  
  
They were all breathing, but were unconscious, probably not for too long though, they'd wake up soon. Inuyasha quickly scanned the body count... a few of them had fallen harder than others and were dead... he didn't expect the sharp pang of guilt that hit him. But where was Kagome?  
  
Looking around he could see that she wasn't with any of the survivors in the mud, and she wasn't with the few dead... had she been thrown beyond the clearing. At once he jumped to his feet and absently plucked the metal shrapnel from his side as he started to look around more carefully. "Kagome? Kagome?!"  
  
There was no answer, except for a few stirring groans from the unconscious crew. Miroku was one of the first to open his eyes as Inuyasha continued to hurry in search of Kagome. He raised one hand to his head to head to rub the bruise (caused by Sango, not the plane crash) and slanted a look at the other hand. One of the fingers were bent back at a very cringe worthy angle... definitely broken.  
  
At once he looked around the mud to see Sango lying close beside him, looking half-asleep, though she was definitely conscious. The rest of his crew were also beginning to rise, including Kagome's body double, Kikyo. The two doctors were dead... and one of the airforce soldiers.  
  
But the most important passenger was missing.  
  
"Where's Miss Higurashi?" Miroku mumbled as he rose to his feet, ignoring his bruised and sprained limbs. He went to help Sango up who complied and slumped against him. He would normally have been delighted... but she seemed a little out of it, like maybe she had concussion.  
  
"Kagome?!" Inuyasha yelled at the top of his lungs. He didn't know if it was a good or bad thing that he couldn't find her. He didn't even know if it was a good or bad thing that she could be dead. In one way he would be relieved... yet... guilty?  
  
There was a low moan from the plane wreck and he could have slapped himself. Of course! She wouldn't have been thrown free yet if her belt hadn't snapped off like everybody else's had. He walked under the wreck and peered up. "Kagome...?"  
  
Kagome lifted her chin and looked down. "Inu... Inuyasha?"  
  
She was alive... remarkably he felt relieved... yet still guilty. He was betraying his cell still by failing. That was almost as bad as betraying her by killing her.  
  
"Stop hanging around - we need to get moving." He folded his arms as Miroku joined his side.  
  
"M-My foot's stuck... and my arm's dislocated..." she pointed out, her head pounding as blood roared through her ears.  
  
"Undo your belt." Inuyasha told her.  
  
"Then I'll break my ankle with my weight!"  
  
"Like you don't already when you walk on it." Inuyasha scoffed.  
  
"You're not helping!" Kagome snapped and threw the oxygen mask that was dangling by her side at him.  
  
Inuyasha easily cocked his head to the side to avoid the blow. "Your aim's as lousy as your sense of style - which by the way - your skirt is falling up and I can see your stripy knickers."  
  
"Jerk!" she quickly tucked her skirt back into place.  
  
Miroku gave Inuyasha an annoyed nudge. "Man... if you hadn't told her she wouldn't have known!"  
  
"Would you guys please just hurry and get me down?" Kagome called. "My head is killing me!"  
  
"Ok..." Miroku called back up and looked around. "Um... ok... um..." finally he looked to Inuyasha. "How?"  
  
"We climb up and get her." Inuyasha was still glowering at Kagome who had her eyes closed.  
  
"But there's nothing to climb up." Miroku pointed out.  
  
"How 'bout I toss you up there Houshi." Inuyasha frowned.  
  
"Hey - you're her guard - how 'bout I toss you up!"  
  
Inuyasha turned to him. "You don't have the strength to lift me."  
  
"Oh yeah?" Miroku faced him as well. "Prove it."  
  
"Guys!" Kagome yelled before they could get into the elephant discussion again. "Stop getting side-tracked!"  
  
They pondered a bit more before Inuyasha hit upon an idea. "How do you get a one armed Kagome out of a tree...?"  
  
"How?"  
  
"You wave to her - she'll wave back and fall." Inuyasha laughed. "I always liked that blonde joke..."  
  
He was suddenly pelted around the head by Kagome's shoe. "Ow!"  
  
"Jerk! Go away and let Miroku get me down!"  
  
"Fine!" Inuyasha stomped away and sat down stubbornly on a log to watch the other soldiers band together and commence an operation to extract her from the wreck. Sango and Kikyo stood off to the side nursing their own injuries. Inuyasha snorted at their attempts. Given thirty seconds he'd have Kagome out of there and on her feet before they could even blink. Served her right... now she'd have to suffer.  
  
But maybe this was good. Maybe his cell would think he'd done well and killed Kagome along with everyone else, all he had to do was run away and leave them in the forest to perish. That way he'd only be killing them INdirectly.  
  
He thought about it whilst glaring off into the trees. He was facing South... and since they were pretty close to the border like Mr Higurashi had been, there was a chance that they were only a day or so walk away from the border into the Southern Territory. The chances of these humans surviving that long were amazingly high.  
  
But then there was always the pesky problems of the demons in this forest. The only kind that dwelled here were the ones who couldn't change their forms to match humans, so they could hide amongst the people in cities and towns. So a lot of the demons here were very likely to be big, dumb, and strong.  
  
At times like this he was glad he'd brought his kendo sword along... but that was probably still inside the plane wreck beside Kagome. Maybe he should ask her to bring it down with her... but then again he didn't want another bruised ear.  
  
He glanced up to see if she was down yet... nope. And someone seemed to be missing from the group. It took a moment for him to place who it was...  
  
"Boo!"  
  
"Ah!" Inuyasha started and shot to his feet to spin around on Kikyo. "Jesus..."  
  
"I thought you were half a demon, Inuyasha." She said without a smile.  
  
"Yeah well... I was thinking... and you were downwind." And unusually stealthy... he didn't like people who could sneak. It put him on edge - like right now. "Did you want something?"  
  
"Mm... no..." Kikyo stepped a little closer, over the log. Inuyasha restrained himself from stepping backwards... his brother had always told him never to back down from anyone, especially not sneaky women. "Maybe I came to tell you something, seeing as we have a chance to talk... alone..."  
  
Inuyasha glanced around. Yep, they were alone as alone could be while being with a lot of people in the middle of nowhere. "What about?"  
  
Kikyo allowed herself to smile. "I saw what you did... how you... mysteriously disappeared only a few minutes before the engine blew... and quite calmly said 'we're crashing' when the brat got erratic."  
  
He didn't like where this was heading. "What are you trying to say?"  
  
"I'm saying that YOU were the one who sabotaged the flight... you wanted one of us to die... I'm guessing that would be Kagome." Kikyo's smiled didn't waver, but she wasn't smiling evilly.  
  
"You're one of these people who just get so bored with life, aren't you? So you just start making up your own little side stories." He shook his head and smirked at her. "Sorry to disappoint but I'm more human than demon."  
  
"It's ok. You only meant to blow one engine." She smiled wider, edging on evil now. "I blew the other one for you."  
  
Inuyasha stopped dead. "You did what?"  
  
"I know I risked other peoples lives..." she looked towards the rest of the group who were busy trying to pry the chair off Kagome's foot. "One of us has to do her in... she can't be allowed to live with her kind of power."  
  
"You're crazy. Kagome doesn't have any power - she doesn't even want to kill demons!" Inuyasha snapped. Though he had to wonder why he was defending her. He hoped it was because he was trying to hide his own guilt. Kikyo could just be trying to trick him.  
  
"What would you know? You've known her for the good part of a week - I've known her since we were six and her father spotted me walking down the street. He just HAD to hire me as a decoy for his little princess." Kikyo's eyes hardened as she watched Kagome. "Don't let her fool you... she's not as innocent as she puts out to be."  
  
"Oh yeah?"  
  
"She has power... she WILL have power..." she glanced back at Inuyasha. "She can't be allowed to live."  
  
Inuyasha scowled at her a moment before turning his back on her and starting towards the plane wreck. He'd have to keep his eye on Kikyo. She wasn't a nice person after all, and he didn't want to have to join ranks with her. This was his own singular mission... and Kikyo was human. He didn't need or want her...  
  
Or maybe he just didn't want to see her hurt Kagome.  
  
He forced a mental laugh at his own joke... that he didn't find very funny... and it just got him more worried.  
  
He heard Kagome's voice as he approached.  
  
"Just cut it off! Please! Don't leave me here!"  
  
The plane was starting to unbalance and a few of the vines were falling and severing here and there. It was going to fall and crush them all at any moment. No wonder Kagome was being explicit about them removing her foot.  
  
"We don't have the equipment." Miroku told her, while Cadets Shippo and Rin supported her weight. He was heaving, trying to get the seat in front of her to move, but he was only causing her more pain, and the movement kept jarring her shoulder.  
  
"It's alright, I have the equipment to do it." Inuyasha announced as he arrived underneath the fiasco.  
  
Miroku looked uncertain. "I'm not sure she knows what she's saying."  
  
"Yes I do! CUT MY FOOT OFF!" Kagome squirmed, here eyes tightly shut in pain. "I don't want to die!"  
  
"Just get down, I'll cut her loose." Inuyasha told them.  
  
"Not him..." Kagome groaned. "Anyone but him..."  
  
Miroku and his group dropped down from the wreck and gestured him to go on. Kagome was silently pleading with her god and breathing deeply to prepare herself.  
  
Inuyasha leapt up in one go and grabbed the upside down headrests to haul himself towards Kagome, the plane trembled and shook as he moved, jerking Kagome a little more who whimpered. He reached her side and clearly saw that little rivulets of blood were trickling from her foot towards her knee. He had to wonder if her foot wasn't crushed altogether. He literally had to swallow his guilt.  
  
"You still alive?" he asked as he held on tightly to a metal barrack with one hand and reached up to examine the jam.  
  
"No, I'm dead and you're talking to my corpse." Kagome said through clenched teeth.  
  
"I thought so." He steadied himself. "Ok, this might hurt when I cut... ok?"  
  
"I don't care - just do anything you have to do to get me loose!" Kagome was fitfully shaking her head from side to side.  
  
"Ok... don't say I didn't warn you."  
  
"Wait!" Kagome looked up. "Let's do this on the count of three..."  
  
"Ok..."  
  
Below the onlookers turned away, not really wanting to witness Inuyasha cut her foot off.  
  
"Ok..." Kagome breathed in and prepared to tense. "One-"  
  
Inuyasha suddenly ripped the entire front seat out that was pinning down her foot and threw it to the forest floor, making the audience scatter. Kagome screamed in pain and didn't dare move her injured limb.  
  
But Inuyasha was ruthless as he sliced her belt off and grabbed her around the waist as she began to fall. Kagome had to bite her lip to stop from screaming, only causing it to bleed.  
  
With that done, Inuyasha dropped to the ground and quickly carried Kagome a short distance from the wreck before lying her on the floor. "You still alive now?"  
  
Kagome was stiff with pain until her eyes snapped open and fixed on him. She still had enough strength to give him a sound cuff around the ear with her good arm. "You GIT! I SAID ON THE COUNT OF THREE!!"  
  
"If I'd done that you would have tense and it would have been more painful!" Inuyasha growled back, defending himself.  
  
"That hurt!" she gave him another cuff, but he ducked the second time. "I'll kill you!"  
  
"At least I didn't cut your foot off! Be thankful, you ungrateful bitch!" he snapped at her.  
  
Kagome quieted. "Ok... yeah... thanks... I guess..."  
  
"Jeez, don't force it." He eyed her twisted arm and frowned. "You want me to fix that?"  
  
"I can do it myself." She said snippily, still unable to move.  
  
"You won't be strong enough." Inuyasha offered. "I can do it fast."  
  
Kagome was silent as she considered this for a moment. "Fine..." she finally gave in.  
  
Without much warning again he simply smacked her upper arm against the shoulder joint and heard it pop. For a moment Kagome said nothing... until her incredible scream sent a flock of nearby crows into flight.  
  
A little while later, Inuyasha was distinctly avoiding the peeved Kagome, especially since he discovered she could deliver fairly smarting slaps.  
  
He was sitting on the log, watching everyone else organise themselves by fetching packs and supplies from the plane wreck and dealing with the three dead men. After a while the remains of the plane creaked and tumbled to the floor upside down, and surely would have completely crushed Kagome had she still been inside.  
  
Once again Kikyo passed him and paused a moment to speak. "Anyone would have thought you were deliberately trying to make it more painful for her..."  
  
He glared at her retreating back and turned his gaze back to the others. Kagome was having her foot bandaged and already had her arm in a sling while Miroku dealt with his own hand.  
  
It made Inuyasha feel slightly guilty that he was the cause... but he couldn't bring himself to help. In every respect her should sabotage their supplies and leave them to die... but he knew that he wouldn't get round to doing it.  
  
With a groan he rubbed his hands over his eyes. What a predicament he'd worked himself into. now he had to find a way to work himself out of this big pit he'd dug.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(A/N: Next Chapter - 'Peer Pressure'.) 


	7. Peer Pressure

Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha, yadda, yadda, yadda...  
  
(A/N: I've been thinking lately about why people hate Kikyo and love Kag/Inu pairings, and there are also those who like Kikyo too. And I have to say that I didn't used to like Kikyo very much... I still don't... but I think I have a little more respect for her situation now after watching my past boyfriend replace ME with someone NEW. Of course I hate the new girlfriend, and so I can understand why Kikyo might dislike Kagome. So I can understand how some people say that Kikyo is dead and gone and evil, therefore Kagome should be with Inuyasha, and I can also understand how people can say that Kikyo got there first and had a right to Inuyasha.  
  
After analysing this for a while last night face down on my bed when I was thinking about my ex, I decided that the ex-girlfriend really needs to move on ie. KIKYO and ME need to move on and stop stressing. After all, it's very unlikely that the first girlfriend you have is necessarily going to be your true love - you have to work your way around to find that person. So for now, I still vouch for Inu-Kag pairings. But just so Kikyo fans know, I sympathise with her situation and I don't really hate her after all.  
  
So there's my precious little view of how I am not going to abuse Kikyo in this fic this time. But that still won't effect my decision of whether or not she is to die.)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Two Faced:  
  
Peer Pressure  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kagome ended up being the only one sat on her behind on Inuyasha's log, watching the rest of the group set about fetching gear and supplies from the plane wreck and set up sleeping arrangements for the night. She was glad that Inuyasha had decided to stop being a lazy toad and get up on his hind legs and do something. He was the one who had sliced through the wreckage that remained of the plane to retrieve luggage and personal items along with most of the necessities they needed to survive the jungle for a few days.  
  
For some reason he refused to bring out Kagome's five-piece luggage suit - for which, she was very pissed off about.  
  
How was she supposed to survive the humidity of the jungle without her styling blow drier?  
  
There were three tents in total, all quite spacious and sturdy with all the sleeping bags and blankets supplied as well. Miroku, being the guy in charge, was the one who designated the sleeping arrangements.  
  
"Ok... girls - Sango, Rin and Kikyo go in the end tents, all men go in the middle and Kagome goes in the end." Miroku pointed to each tent as he spoke.  
  
Kagome seemed fairly happy with the arrangements. Every man grumbled - since there were a hell of a lot more men than women in this crew, and Sango and Kikyo slanted wary looks at one another - they didn't know each other very well yet.  
  
"Hey, how come Kagome gets a tent to herself?" Inuyasha scowled.  
  
Miroku blinked at him. "Because... she's Kagome."  
  
"So?"  
  
"So... we shouldn't really sleep around her or touch her." Miroku shrugged as if it was really obvious.  
  
Kagome folded her one good arm carefully into the other and gave Inuyasha a cocky look.  
  
Roughly ten men, including Inuyasha and Miroku headed for their designated tent and peeped inside. Inuyasha suddenly snorted. "No way am I sleeping with so many men in fatigues."  
  
"Ok then - since you're Kagome's bodyguard you can sleep with her." Miroku said without hesitation and found himself the best spot, slap bang in the middle of the tent where it would be warmest.  
  
Inuyasha ground his teeth irritably and clenched his fists. But he wasn't going to argue and make them suspicious that he didn't like Kagome (as if it wasn't obvious anyway). So instead of protesting he just stomped away and sat on his favourite rotting log at the edge of the clearing and hugged himself for warmth.  
  
Pah... he'd rather be cold than sleep with Kagome or a bunch of humans. He'd manage... and no one could assume he wasn't doing his job to Kagome because now he was acting as lookout.  
  
"Boo!"  
  
"Shit!" Inuyasha slipped off the log and scowled. "Will you STOP doing that?!"  
  
Kikyo smiled and clasped her hands behind her back. "Don't want to sleep with your ward?"  
  
"I'm lookout."  
  
"Pull the other one."  
  
Inuyasha rolled his eyes and looked away from Kikyo. "Don't think I'm not onto you bitch." He glanced back at her. "I'm watching you every minute of the day. You'll never harm a hair on her head."  
  
"Nice act... I might believe you if you were more human than you are now. But I know you hate her just as much as me." Kikyo watched him sit back down on his log and arrange his sword so it lay against his chest and shoulder. "Possibly even more."  
  
"Whatever signals you are getting from me, they're mixed up. Why do you want her dead?" he eyed Kikyo suspiciously.  
  
"Maybe not dead precisely." Kikyo's eyes hardened, just like they had done earlier when she'd been talking about Kagome. "Because of her my father is dead... because of her my mother sold me to her father...because of her I have nothing."  
  
Inuyasha stared at her. "Then why are you working for him?"  
  
"I get paid at least...but you can't exactly put a price on my father's life." Kikyo glared off towards Kagome's tent. "Sorry, but you shouldn't trust her. She causes pain and destruction wherever she goes."  
  
"Maybe that's because people like YOU follow her wherever she goes." Inuyasha pointed out and stood. "If you were looking for my sympathy, I can't give it. But I can offer pity if that's any help?"  
  
"I'd rather you hate me." Kikyo turned her face away in disgust.  
  
"As you wish." He smirked at her when she shot a glare at him.  
  
They both parted ways and Inuyasha headed for Kagome's tent. Truth was, he would rather be in her tent than out in the open with Kikyo. He probably felt safer with Kagome anyway.  
  
He brushed past the flap with little warning and waited to have various make-up boxes and indignant insults thrown at him. Surprisingly Kagome just looked up from where she'd been fiddling with her bandaged arm. She gave an embarrassed sort of smile.  
  
"What are you so happy about?" Inuyasha said grumpily as he sat down and unrolled another sleeping bag. "The plane crashed, three men are dead, and we're in a forest with demons. I suppose it could be worse though... add Brittany Speares into the mix and we definitely would be in hell..."  
  
"I... I wanted to apologise for earlier when I hit you." Kagome said meekly.  
  
"What?" Inuyasha gave her a blank look. "You're sorry for that?"  
  
"Yeah." Kagome nodded. "I forgot to really thank you for saving my life. Though you sure took your sweet time about it."  
  
"Was that a thank you...? It sounded like criticism to me." He cocked an eyebrow at her.  
  
"Ok... ok... sorry." Kagome looked down. "I was just stressed, you can understand that, right?"  
  
"Right."  
  
"Hung upside down with a broken arm and squished foot..." Kagome tried off with a distant look. "And then you..."  
  
She had stopped when Inuyasha's hand had shot to his heart again. "Another heart attack? Didn't want to shock you too much by apologising..."  
  
Inuyasha wished it had been... he fished his hand into his breast pocket and pulled out his phone. "Just a message..."  
  
"You have a phone?!" Kagome half cried. "Why didn't you say so earlier! Call someone and get help out here! Tell them we crashed but we're alive!"  
  
"Can't... it was a gift from my... bro-friend, it can only receive messages, it can't send stuff out." Inuyasha quickly tried to catch himself before he said brother...  
  
"Did you just say... boyfriend?" Kagome was giving him a disturbed look.  
  
"What - NO!" Inuyasha pulled a face. "I swing straight."  
  
"Oh... I thought the monkey might have swung on both branches there..." Kagome looked visibly relieved.  
  
Inuyasha was just about to ask if she was homophobic when someone slapped against the side of the tent. "Lights out! Get some sleep and stop talking unless you want demons to come!" Miroku called.  
  
Inuyasha gave him the finger even though the Major wouldn't be able to see it and Kagome grinned slightly. "You better be going back to your tent then."  
  
"What are you blabbering on about? This is my tent." Inuyasha started to settle himself down.  
  
"I'll pretend you're joking." The grin slipped from her face completely.  
  
"Yeah, if it was a joke you'd be laughing." He gave her a dry smile as he flapped out his blankets with an exaggerated motion and plopped down onto the sleeping bag.  
  
"You can't sleep in here!" Kagome protested.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because... we're in the same room..." she looked desperate. "It's not decent to sleep so close if you're a boy and a girl."  
  
Inuyasha stared at her a moment, the flickering light of the gas lantern making her features flicker orange and make her appear scared. He sighed. "Didn't your parents ever tell you about the birds and the bees."  
  
"No. Just about sex, they never sugar-coated it." Kagome scowled. "I know enough to not let you stay in here!"  
  
"And what would you do if a demon came barging in here? Who would protect you?" Inuyasha pointed out.  
  
"Um..." Kagome looked around for someone. Surprisingly there was no one.  
  
"See my point?"  
  
"Ish..."  
  
"So stop squealing piggy and let my do my job." He was just about to get on and read his message when one of Kagome's shoes hit his head again. "Ow!"  
  
"Oops - I'm sorry." She smiled sarcastically before sliding slowly back onto her back to sleep. "Turn off the light."  
  
Inuyasha ignored her as he read the message.  
  
'Good job with the plane crash, if you're still alive call back when you reach the Southern Territory. Make sure you don't leave any witnesses'  
  
He stared at the words a moment before frowning. It was likely that a lot of people back home knew about the crash now... and his brother's cell assumed that he'd killed Kagome...  
  
Did this buy him some time to work up the courage to do it for real?  
  
"Inuyasha?" Kagome lifted her head. "Turn the light off?"  
  
In the distance Miroku had probably seen the light was still on too. "Lights out Love Birds!"  
  
Inuyasha grumbled something incoherent and turned the lamp off at the foot of the tent before pulling the blankets up to his chin and setting his sword underneath his pillow.  
  
There was a long silence, in which he could tell Kagome was definitely far from sleeping. Her breathing was a little too speedy for her to be relaxed and her thumb was rubbing intermittently against her finger in a fidgety motion. Why was she nervous... it confused him, just like her earlier statement had...  
  
"Why were you relieved when I said I was straight?" he asked out of the blue.  
  
Her heard Kagome splutter suddenly and suddenly go very still. "Huh?"  
  
Not the most intelligent answer she could have come up with right then.  
  
"Why were you relieved I like girls?"  
  
"Um..." She raced for some excuse before just answering truthfully. "I don't know... I just... probably came off as sounding relieved. Sorry."  
  
"Oh..."  
  
There was a long silence that stretched on and on for quite some time. Kagome still wasn't relaxing, and her tenseness was just making Inuyasha restless.  
  
Kagome suddenly turned her head back towards him. "Thanks again for saving me again... if you hadn't protected me in the plane... I'm not sure I would have survived it..."  
  
And Inuyasha wasn't sure if it was a good idea to do it at the time. It had all been completely on impulse.  
  
"And thanks again for getting me down without having to take off my foot... that was scaring me spitless..." Kagome sounded a little sheepish now.  
  
"It was nothing." Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably - only uncomfortable because she was acting nice.  
  
"I was scared." She suddenly blurted. "I mean REALLY scared..."  
  
"Ok..."  
  
"It's all my fault - the plane wouldn't have been sabotaged if I weren't on board. I risked everyone's life by trying to find dad and all..." she said quickly.  
  
She felt guilty and she wanted it off her chest. Inuyasha just frowned as she rambled on.  
  
"I mean... everywhere I go... they delay everything just for me. The plane was delayed to search for sabotage. They didn't find any - but even then something slipped past security - three people are dead because of me!"  
  
"It's ok..." It was more his fault than hers, and it was definitely NOT ok in his case.  
  
"And my dad and his crew could be dead because of me..." Kagome continued, her voice beginning to shake. "And I was so cold to him when he left... I was angry... but I didn't want that..."  
  
"You'll find him." Inuyasha didn't elaborate whether she would find him dead or alive, however.  
  
"Dead or alive?" Kagome whispered.  
  
"Um..." Inuyasha didn't dare say.  
  
"What if he'd dead...?" Kagome blinked away the approaching tears. "The last thing I ever would have said to him was something cold... I could never f-forgive myself..."  
  
Inuyasha sighed and propped himself up on an elbow. "Look... if your father's dead... he's dead."  
  
"Oh thanks for cheering my up." Kagome remarked flatly.  
  
"I'm not finished yet." He rolled his eyes. "Do you really think your father would hold one argument against you in his afterlife? You think he'll forget how close you two were just for the sake of holding a grudge?"  
  
Kagome was quiet.  
  
"You said you two were close. So that means all the happy times you two shared outweighed the number of arguments, right? That's more important than having one last fight with him."  
  
Kagome watched him through the darkness as he settled back down. "that is scarily enlightened of you to say that."  
  
"I know what it's like to lose a parent after having an argument." Inuyasha sighed. "Two parents actually... that's the best excuse I could come up with to get over my guilt."  
  
"I'm sorry..."  
  
"Well... we're not even sure if your dad is dead anyway. Don't get your hopes up too high just yet, he could still be out there in a nice cushy cave with an open fire..." Inuyasha griped.  
  
"Thank you..." Kagome let out a sigh of air that she'd been holding in.  
  
"No problem." He reached over and patted her good arm.  
  
Kagome stiffened and inched away. "What did I say about touching?"  
  
"It's the best thing besides chocolate fudge?"  
  
"No touching." She heard him sigh and thought back over what he'd said. She suddenly had a revelation. "Were we... just... having a normal conversation?"  
  
"Hmm..." Inuyasha hummed.  
  
"Goodnight, Inuyasha." Kagome whispered softly, before finally relaxing.  
  
She'd finally gotten a load off her chest, so now Inuyasha understood why she hadn't been able to relax and sleep. So it wasn't long before she fell asleep. Was she really that trusting that Inuyasha could protect her?  
  
Now was his perfect chance. He could just reach over and snap her neck and he'd get a meddle for his bravely... even though it was a cowardly way out of this mess. Of course, then he'd have to kill everyone else to get rid of any suspicions and witnesses. When he got back everyone would assume the entire crew was killed by the crash, and him, being half-demon, had been strong enough to survive and make it out of the forest.  
  
It was a good alibi and scenario...  
  
Nah... maybe he could do it tomorrow night...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(A/N: See? I'm trying to be less mean to Kikyo than usual.) 


	8. Divided

Disclaimer: D-I-S-C-L-A-I-M-E-R!!!!  
  
(A/N: sorry about the delay, been rather busy recently... got into major trouble with my parents (who are currently on the other side of the country) and will probably tan my hide the minute they get back. Plus I've had to scrounge around for money down the backs of the sofas because I am STARVING and there is NO food in this house whatsoever... So far I have about 79p which is just about enough to buy a carton of milk... T_T SO hungry...)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Two Faced  
  
Divided  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
It was probably the cold draft that woke Kagome up the next morning. She shifted and winced in her sleeping bag, trying to snuggle down to get more warmth. "Inuyasha... close the window would you?" she called out.  
  
"I'm not your maid." Came the gruff reply.  
  
"Hey..." Kagome frowned beneath her covers. "What are you doing in my room...?"  
  
"Oh for... I'll go close that window..." she heard the sound of retreating footsteps and vaguely wondered if her suspicions were right about him being a peeping tom pervert.  
  
After a few moments the draft seemed to disappear and Kagome sighed happily as she drifted off back into a light sleep. Only a minute or so later she vaguely heard heavier footsteps coming back into her 'bedroom' and stirred ever so slightly. She was, however, completely unprepared to have a bucket of ice cold water slosh over her head.  
  
Kagome's following scream was loud enough to rouse the rest of the camp - who then all came stumbling out of their tents seconds later, still only half asleep.  
  
"Who screamed?" Miroku managed to slur out. This was followed by the sound of Sango falling out of her own tent, then followed by a couple of sailor like cusses.  
  
Inuyasha stepped out of Kagome's tent with a pleased looking expression. "I think I've found an effective alarm clock - you guys were taking ages to get up."  
  
Kagome came stumbling out of her tent, glaring murderously at Inuyasha's back and dripping wet with icy Cold River water. "You are the epitome of anything EVIL!"  
  
"And you are the epitome of anything wet - you might want to get changed before you catch cold." Or before Miroku woke up enough to notice that her blouse was practically transparent now.  
  
Kagome sighed patiently and counted to ten as everyone made their way back to their tents to either catch up on their sleep, or to get dressed. In fact, Kagome didn't blame those who snuck back into their sleeping bags - it was only just coming up to the crack of dawn. But since she was up, wet AND cold, she decided she might as well go get washed in the nearby stream properly.  
  
She shivered as she limped across to the survival packs that had been dumped between the tents. She rummaged around (difficult when you could only rummage with one arm) until she found a small emergency toothbrush, paste and a polystyrene cup. She glanced over her shoulder to check on what everyone else was doing and noticed that in fact everyone had gone back to bed except for Miroku, Sango and Inuyasha. Miroku and Sango seemed to be conversing like two tigers squaring each other up for battle... but in a more discreet way, while Inuyasha seemed to be tending to his kendo sword...  
  
Kagome sighed and headed across the clearing that made their campsite towards the nearby stream of fresh running spring water from the mountains in the dark forest. She winced as she carefully sat down and stuck her twisted ankle into the biting cold water and set about brushing her teeth and washing her face, hands and feet.  
  
She sighed again as she heard the sound of Sango's bickering with Miroku steadily rise in volume before it was cut short by a sharp slap... then all was quiet again. Kagome dipped her cup in the water with the her left hand and gently took a small sip to quench her thirst.  
  
That's when a very small... very slight tremor shivered through the ground beneath her. For a moment she thought she had imagined it, or it had been her own body that had shivered... before noticing that Inuyasha was suddenly sitting up straighter than he had before and his activities had frozen.  
  
Kagome set the cup down beside her and watched with surprise as the water inside the cup gently shivered intermittently. "Earthquake...?"  
  
"Probably..." Sango commented, having also noticed the slight tremors.  
  
They stopped and everyone seemed to shrug and continue with what they had been doing before, all except Inuyasha who was slowly standing up and gripping his sword in its sheath very tightly. Kagome noticed how on edge he seemed to be and frowned. "Inuyasha - what-"  
  
Her voice was suddenly drowned out by a booming crash in the trees off to the east of the campsite. At once everyone spun in that direction or stumbled out of the tents again. The crashing continued, like something very large was bulldozing its way through the trees, and the tremors in the ground increased like pounding footsteps, getting so violent that Kagome's spilt.  
  
"It's a demon!" she screamed just as the trees to their right suddenly were flung out the way to reveal an extremely large humanoid looking demon. It was big, ugly and they could smell it already... that was all they needed to know before running to fetch their weapons.  
  
It's beady little eyes scanned the scene of running humans before it before it fixed them on Kagome and it seemed to literally freeze as it processed the sight of her. Kagome was also frozen, more in shock than in anything else. She'd never seen a demon in it's true form... of course she'd seen pictures and sketches and heard tales about the real demons in the forests... but she'd never been this close to one before.  
  
After a moment the huge demon with arms that seemed that allowed its knuckles to scrape along the floor started to make its way towards Kagome whose fear skyrocketed.  
  
Inuyasha's sharp gaze darted between the weakened human girl and the large dumb demon and quickly shot towards Kagome. He got to her just as the demon began to raise its tree trunk like arms to bring them down on a cowering Kagome. He managed to bundle her over his shoulder, ignoring her protesting cries of pain, and swiftly carried her out of the way before she was crushed.  
  
"Ow! Let me down!" Kagome yelled.  
  
"You can't run, so what's the point?!" he yelled back and turned to see that the demon had begun to follow them. "Shit..."  
  
"What's happening?!" Kagome demanded, thumping his back. Inuyasha turned and started to leg it out of the clearing, giving Kagome a clear view of what was behind them. "Oh my god!"  
  
The demon probably would have continued to follow them if Miroku and his men hadn't jumped in to block the beast's path and started to attack it. Kagome watched in open-mouthed shock. "Where are we going?! We have to help them!"  
  
"You can't do anything to help - that beast is following you!" Inuyasha snapped as he dodged through the low hanging branches and over rotting logs and vegetation. "I'll dump you in a cave and then I'll go back to help them."  
  
"You are not dumping me anywhere!" Kagome struggled, intending to make him either slow down or risk dropping her.  
  
Unfortunately for Kagome he just dropped her and scowled down at her. "Now look what you made me do?"  
  
Kagome lay on the forest floor, gritting her teeth to keep from crying out in pain and to keep from yelling at Inuyasha. He was such a useless bodyguard come to think of it...  
  
"Ok, just stay here and keep quiet and try not to emit any smells that might attract demons..." Inuyasha ordered her and turned to leave.  
  
"Like what smells?!" Kagome snapped indignantly.  
  
"Like pheromones, I don't know! Just don't do anything to attract attention to yourself - I'll come back for you in a few minutes so don't go too far!" he called over his shoulder as he raced back towards the campsite.  
  
Within a few seconds he was gone from sight and Kagome sat up slowly and looked around. It was very quiet in this part of the jungle... no bird song... no insects... no demons... not much sound of any sort other than the constant drip of water running off leaves. For a moment she just sat on the damp ground before deciding she couldn't just sit there while Sango and everyone else went up against a huge demon...  
  
So just like that, everything Inuyasha had just said flew in one ear and out the other, as did a lot of things people told her. She stood up precariously and began to limp unsteadily back in the direction Inuyasha had just taken her. It would have been a lot easier if she'd had two arms to steady herself with, but unfortunately her right arm was still in its sling and was bruised so badly the entire of her upper arm was now black and blue, including her shoulder.  
  
After about three minutes of hobbling she realised that Inuyasha could cover ground a lot faster than her and had probably covered a mile in the space of a minute. Kagome, with her duff ankle, was going to take a lot longer than that. and since her ankle was beginning to ache pretty badly, she decided to give up and slump against one of the ancient trees in defeat, panting.  
  
She only prayed that the others were all right...  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Inuyasha arrived at the campsite with a flurry of movement and skidded to a halt to look around wildly for any sign of danger.  
  
There was no sign of the demon... but there was no sign of any of the humans that had been here either. All that remained were trashed tents and supply packs. There was however, one human remaining.  
  
Inuyasha walked over quietly and slowly used his foot to nudge the fallen man onto his back. When he could finally see whom the unfortunate sod was he cursed and looked away. One of Miroku's men... Lieutenant Kenji or whatever. He'd fallen hard by the looks of things.  
  
He raised his head and sniffed the air slightly... scent trails led away from the clearing in a westerly direction. It meant that all the residents of the campsite had gone off in the same direction as the demon, meaning they were either being chased by the blockhead or were giving chasing to it instead. Inuyasha doubted they would have left Kenji behind to rot if they'd had a choice, and suspected that they'd most likely made a run for their lives. But as far as Inuyasha could tell, they were all still alive.  
  
He toyed with the idea of following them and helping them out for a moment, before deciding that wasn't what was in his mission description. Plus, Kagome was still out there in the forest on her own and emitting all sorts of enticing smells that the first demon had probably been attracted to in the first place. It wouldn't be long before another one decided to check out the smell of the enchanted girl, and if Inuyasha wasn't there to protect her...?  
  
He stood, not sure what to do for a moment. On the one hand he could do nothing and risk the lives of every other human that had crash-landed into this cursed forest. Or he could go save one group and let Kagome die... or save Kagome and let the rest of the humans die. His ethics and morals told him he should probably go save Kagome... she was helpless after all. But his mission and sense told him to either do nothing or go help out Miroku's lot...  
  
After a moment he made his decision...  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Kagome stood precariously in the midst of the trees with one arm point ahead of her and another point at a 100-degree angle to the left.  
  
"If the camp was in that direction... and south was to the north of the camp if you stood facing the camp by the river... then that means south would be in..." she looked around, trying to pinpoint the direction she needed to be heading in. Of course, this really didn't help her any because she didn't have a compass and she had no idea what direction north or south was in.  
  
With a sigh she just turned in the direction her instincts told her to follow and started to limp off. At this rate Inuyasha would probably never find her... that was if he hadn't forgotten about her... or wasn't dead...  
  
She bit her lip as she remembered how big and smelly that demon had been back there. He had been much larger and stronger than any demon she'd ever seen... Inuyasha probably didn't stand a chance if he went up against it, even if he did boast about his kendo skills. Kagome doubted that a puny little stick like 'Tessaiga' was going to have much affect on tough demon hide around here.  
  
"I'm doomed... doomed... doomed... doomed..." she muttered to herself.  
  
"Well you will be if you continue going in that direction." Inuyasha spoke out from behind her.  
  
Kagome started to turn in surprise, but her ankle failed her and she tumbled onto her behind, with as much gracefulness as she could manage. "Haven't you ever heard of snapping twigs to make your presence known before you scare the wits out of me?"  
  
"Not really..." He folded his arms, shifting a survival pack on his shoulder. "I'm just surprised you're still alive... seeing as you deliberately disobeyed me and started to toddle of in the direction of a swamp that wreaks of demons."  
  
He nodded his head in the direction she had been aiming for and Kagome sighed. "Stupid instincts... never get me anywhere..."  
  
"You still plan to go to the Southern territory?" Inuyasha asked, starting to scan the area around them with his eyes.  
  
"Yep. I still have to find my dad." Kagome said firmly, rubbing at a scab that was developing on her forearm.  
  
"You don't plan on killing all those demons still?" Inuyasha asked, slightly surprised.  
  
"Of course not!" Kagome looked at him with a frown. "Just because dad's plane was sabotaged by demons or people who support demons doesn't mean I'm out for revenge. It's not like I'm going to hold the actions of a few against a whole race."  
  
She went back to picking at her scab.  
  
Inuyasha just stared at her with mild surprise. One again she'd proven him wrong. He'd thought she'd be out for blood... but she was just looking to find her father. While HE on the other hand was going to extreme lengths to exact revenge just as he thought she should be doing...  
  
Well now he just felt like a total jerk...  
  
"Stop picking at it or you'll get a scar." Inuyasha swotted her hand away from arm as he passed her.  
  
Kagome looked up quickly. "We going?"  
  
"Yeah, hurry up and keep up." He said curtly.  
  
"Inuyasha?"  
  
He turned and looked back. "What?"  
  
"Carry me." She held her arms out, looking distinctly like a teddybear pose.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Please?"  
  
"I'm not your carriage!" he snapped.  
  
"Never said you were! I can't walk on my ankle thanks to you and you're scary creeping up on me methods!" Kagome said hotly and held out her arms again. "Please?"  
  
"I better get a rise when we get back you know." He said, though it hit him that she wouldn't ever make it back north alive. He stomped over to her and draped his jacket around her shoulders before kneeling down to allow her to climb onto his back. He also made her carry the survival pack on her own good shoulder.  
  
"What's the jacket for?" Kagome asked as she clung to his shoulder with one arm.  
  
"So you won't get cold. And so it's easier for me to carry you. And so you won't injure your arm anymore than necessary." He said shortly.  
  
"You really care?" Kagome smiled.  
  
"Not really..."  
  
Kagome rolled her eyes and relaxed to enjoy the sensation of being carried by someone as strong as Inuyasha. She wasn't at all worried that he could drop her at any moment..., which had always been her problem in the past. She just hadn't been able to put faith in someone's ability to hold her up... with Inuyasha it was different.  
  
"What about the others?" she suddenly remembered.  
  
"They're gone..." Inuyasha said darkly.  
  
Kagome froze up. "You mean... they're dead...? All of them...?"  
  
Inuyasha was quiet. Maybe it was better if she thought that was what had happened?  
  
But then of course she started to sniff and cry and he felt her bury her head in the crook of his neck and begin to soak his shirt with damp tears. "Hey! I never said they were dead! They were just somewhere else... I didn't have time to check."  
  
"Oh ok..." her tears quickly cleared up.  
  
"But Kenji was dead."  
  
So the tears began to return. "Oh..."  
  
"But I'm pretty sure the others are ok."  
  
"Ok..." Kagome sniffed anyway.  
  
"It's just you and me from now on, eh?"  
  
"Joy."  
  
Yep. It was going to be pure bliss...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(A/N: Next chapter should be up soon - 'Testing the Trust'.) 


	9. Testing The Trust

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, so there! You can't sue me because I've said the magic words! Not that anyone would bother suing...  
  
(A/N: I've just discovered something wonderful... chocolate spread on toast! It has got to be the tastiest thing on this earth!!!!!)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Two Faced:  
  
Testing the Trust  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Are we nearly there yet?"  
  
"No..."  
  
"How 'bout now?"  
  
"No."  
  
"How 'bout-"  
  
"How 'bout you just shut up and let me do the walking, huh?" Inuyasha griped.  
  
"I was going to say - how 'bout we play eye spy on the way. I'm dead bored." Kagome said breezily from his back, hugging his jacket close for warmth.  
  
"Don't be so childish." He told her.  
  
"Fine..." Kagome said with a hint of sulkiness.  
  
The silence stretched on.  
  
"Are we nearly there yet?"  
  
"We're about twenty paces closer to the border since the last time you asked - now will you please shut up?!" Inuyasha snapped. "We're not going to arrive in the Southern Territory today - maybe tomorrow morning."  
  
"Then lets play a game to pass the time." Kagome prodded.  
  
"No! Go count lampposts or something..."  
  
"I don't know if you can tell but I am glaring at you with a 'get real' sort of expression." She hugged her arm around his neck a little tighter, unconsciously, and shifted her thighs about his waist without realising. "There has to be something more interesting to do than this..."  
  
Inuyasha just wished that she would stop squirming like that. Carrying her and the survival pack wasn't made any easier by the fact she kept 'innocently' squeezing her arms and legs around him. And she said she had an aversion to being touched... but given half the chance she seemed to like touching everyone else.  
  
"How about you count trees instead." Inuyasha suggested, trying to find something that would stop her from nagging him further.  
  
"If I must..." Kagome sighed and shifted to get comfortable again. "One... two... three... four-five-six... seven... eight... no, wait... I've missed those two... oh great, now I lost count. One... two... three..."  
  
"Silently!"  
  
"Do you want me to stop breathing too?"  
  
"If it's not too much trouble." He said sarcastically.  
  
But then after that all he heard (or felt rather) was Kagome counting upwards in a whisper, her breath tickling the back of his neck and making him shiver involuntarily.  
  
"Cold?" she asked, immediately guilty for taking his jacket.  
  
"No... and when I said silently and I meant silently - as in count in your head."  
  
Kagome mumbled something rude under her breath and proceeded to count in her head, sighing every time she lost count because she couldn't keep verbal track anymore. But even then Inuyasha thought he could hear her counting in her head... and that was just slightly disturbing.  
  
"Inuyasha...?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Do you think I can get down? You've been carrying me since this morning and my legs are beginning to cramp." She complained.  
  
"YOU'RE legs are beginning to cramp? You have no idea..." with a slightly reluctant sigh he let her slide off his back and come to a stand behind him. He quickly made sure she wasn't in danger of collapsing pathetically before stepping back to a safe distance. "Are you sure you can take the strain."  
  
"Sure... as long as you carry the supplies now." She held out the pack with one arm.  
  
"If it's not one thing it's another..." he sighed as he grudgingly accepted it.  
  
"Hey, you're not the one who just dislocated an arm and sprained an ankle."  
  
"No, I just got run through with a metal spike." Inuyasha patted his side.  
  
"You're kidding?" Kagome's expression slipped to worry. "Are you ok? Why didn't you say anything?"  
  
Inuyasha had to lean away from her attentions. "It's no problem - all better now."  
  
"Are you sure?" Kagome leaned in a little closer.  
  
Inuyasha nodded quickly and seemed to satisfy Kagome. She took a few experimental steps and smiled when she didn't topple over of scream in pain. That was a good start. "Shall we go?"  
  
"You're going to slow me down." He folded his arms irritably.  
  
"I slow you down enough already." She smiled nonetheless and limped along towards him. "Besides, it won't get better if I don't use it, at this rate it should be feeling better in a few days."  
  
"Or you could ruin your ankle completely and wind up loosing a limb." He smiled sadistically. "Hopefully."  
  
"You're awful." Kagome gave him a light push that sent him swaying slightly. "I think I know my ankles better than you. This kind of thing heals fast for me, unlike for my mother who was off her feet for weeks with a sprained ankle..."  
  
"I think I know the frailty of the human body, Kagome. And no need for a family history lesson." He said walking very close behind her.  
  
"I wish you'd stop doing that." Kagome said evenly.  
  
"Doing what?"  
  
"Making it out like all humans are weak and pathetic." She stopped and glanced back at him. "You're half human... don't you understand what it's like to be human?"  
  
"All I know is that it's a disability that hinders me from becoming truly strong." He said truthfully.  
  
"Really?" That sounded interesting.  
  
"But..." Inuyasha sighed as he slipped into the speech he'd memorised by now. "Human spirits is what makes them good, and I am proud to say that I have a human spirit and am not a soulless demon."  
  
That should satisfy her.  
  
"Demons aren't soulless."  
  
Inuyasha blinked in surprise at her comment and noticed she was carefully picking her way across the uneven forest floor again. "What?"  
  
"Demons aren't soulless. If they were soulless they wouldn't be people... but they are... just because they have evil tendencies doesn't make them any more soulless. They're still people." She glanced back with a smile. "My mother taught me that."  
  
Inuyasha's respect was beginning to increase for both Kagome and her mother. "Well... I still have a human spirit..."  
  
"Which is valiant and good and honest, I know, I know." She nodded.  
  
Which was often or not his downfall... like right now, if he'd been a true demon he wouldn't be hesitating to kill her. But stupid conscience was getting in the way. But then again, if he'd been a true demon he wouldn't have been in this situation to begin with. He wouldn't have needed to prove himself like this.  
  
But seeing as he couldn't bring himself to prove himself... did that make him unworthy to be with his brother's kind?  
  
"Turned into a vegetable yet?" Kagome called back.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Now who's being slow?" she smiled and started off again.  
  
"Stupid girl..." he muttered.  
  
"I'm not deaf!" she smiled anyway as she passed through a thick part of the bushes. "Just because I haven't got ears like you doesn't mean... oh..."  
  
She stopped dead and Inuyasha frowned as he caught up. "What, 'oh'?"  
  
Then he saw what she meant and frowned. "Ohhh..."  
  
They were stood on what appeared to be one side of a fairly large crack in the land. It seemed to be at least seven metres deep to the pit below them and the other side was about five metres away and a metre lower than the ledge they stood on.  
  
"Well... I guess we could always go round..." Kagome shrugged.  
  
"No way... that'll take hours and nights approaching." Inuyasha assessed the situation. "And I'd rather be on the other side tonight."  
  
"I can't jump that!" Kagome protested. "Not with this ankle!"  
  
"I know..." Inuyasha sighed. "I can't carry you either, you'll unbalance me... but I suppose I could-"  
  
"No - you are not throwing me across!" Kagome responded shortly. Inuyasha fell silent.  
  
After a few moments of thought Inuyasha snapped his fingers. "I know! I'll throw the supplies over and then jump across myself. And you can jump after me."  
  
"But... I can't jump like you can..." Kagome protested.  
  
"I'll catch you." Inuyasha said confidently.  
  
Kagome just looked at him with a deadpan expression.  
  
"Oh come on... even if you fall short, I could catch you before you hit the bottom. It's easy."  
  
"Which part? Catching me or hitting the bottom?" Kagome looked a little worried.  
  
"Ok, let me go first."  
  
Before Kagome could stop him he'd tossed the pack over and given a run -up to follow it. He landed safely on the other side, without any doubt that he'd make it fine. Kagome on the other hand felt suddenly alone and vulnerable.  
  
"Inuyasha..." she clenched her fist and looked down at him. "It's too far!"  
  
"Just jump and I'll catch you, don't worry!"  
  
"I can't!"  
  
"Trust me, Kagome, when have I ever let you done?" he smiled in a slightly boyish way that made it suddenly difficult to swallow. But he was right, she didn't know of any times he'd ever let her down. He'd saved her more than twice now. Many people had saved her life before... but this was the first guy to actually survive it. Maybe she really could trust him...?  
  
"Ok... but you better not let me down!" she called and nervously edged back to take a run-up.  
  
Inuyasha braced himself on the other side to prepare to catch her. Soon he heard rapid footsteps approaching the edge and he tilted forward slightly to catch her in case she fell short. Unfortunately Kagome had other ideas.  
  
"No - ow - No!" Kagome skidded to a halt centimetres from the edge and Inuyasha had to quickly windmill his arms to keep from falling forward.  
  
"You did that on purpose!" he snapped.  
  
"Did not!" she reached down to massage her ankle. "My arm was throwing me off, that's all!"  
  
"I'll throw YOU off if you don't hurry it up!"  
  
"Grouse..." Kagome muttered before retreating back away from the edge. "Promise you won't drop me?!"  
  
"Trust me!" it was surprisingly difficult to get those two words out...  
  
"Ok... but don't let me down, remember?"  
  
"I remember... just jump already!" Inuyasha yelled.  
  
Kagome took a deep breath and braced herself. She took a moment to do some mental preparation before running again towards the edge. When she reached it she pushed herself off with her good foot and started to sail through the air. But she was falling short very badly... very, very badly...  
  
Inuyasha saw it at once and quickly stepped off after her. He grabbed her around the middle and twisted them both so he was below her... and so he took the brunt force of the fall when they hit the ground.  
  
Kagome was winded anyway, but at least she hadn't broken anything else. The most painful part had been when he'd grabbed her. "Ow... Inuyasha...? You still alive?"  
  
She sat up and looked down at him. The slightly pissed off looking expression he had told her that, yes, he was still alive. "Are you ok?"  
  
"Stupid question," he hissed. "I'd move and strangle you... if I think there's a rock embedded in my spine..."  
  
Kagome quickly got off his stomach and helped him rise to his feet and started to brush him down in a very motherly like fashion. "I have to say you've let me down..." she sighed. "A whole ten metres down..."  
  
He suddenly caught her hand. "You can't keep your hands off me for one minute, that's all."  
  
Kagome froze, and with a frown, suddenly tugged her hand free and stumbled a few feet away from him. "So how do we get out of here?" she cleared her throat and asked, looking at their surroundings... or just looking at anything that wasn't Inuyasha.  
  
Inuyasha watched her with mild surprise, since he hadn't expected her to react to a playful comment like that. It had been a joke... but she'd really not liked it.  
  
With a sigh he pointed to the side. "Well, now we climb up."  
  
"I can't climb that." Kagome looked at him, seemingly at once forgetting what had just happened.  
  
"You don't have to - I'll climb up and then reach down and pull you up after." He immediately set about digging his claws into the rock and earth to tug himself up. He made it to the top in one journey and heaved himself up with little effort. Kagome was quite impressed...  
  
He reappeared holding his sword in its scabbard as an extension since he couldn't really reach that far down without falling. "Grab hold of the scabbard..."  
  
"I'll fall..." Kagome warned, even as she reached up to grip it tightly with her good hand. "And then you'll miss me - ah!"  
  
he suddenly lifted her out of the crack with one arm and set her down on the ground beside him. Kagome was still trying to catch up. "That was quick... do you work out?"  
  
"No." he pried her fingers off the scabbard since she seemed to be forgetting to let go. "But at least we're on the other side."  
  
"So can we make camp now?" Kagome asked.  
  
"What?! It's not even dark yet!"  
  
"So?" Kagome gave him her best vulnerable little girl eyes. "But it's cold... and my arm hurts."  
  
"So? You're not walking on your arm, are you?" He pointed out as he got up and retrieved the pack he'd thrown earlier.  
  
"No - my arm hurts - but my ankle is killing me with pain... it's horrible... and stabbing and I'm hungry too..."  
  
"And you say that humans aren't all weak and fragile." He grouched, but conceded as he dropped the pack and started to kick the surrounding bushes away to clear room for them.  
  
"Great! How many tents did you bring?" Kagome asked.  
  
"One."  
  
"One?!" Kagome gaped at him. "But there's two of us!"  
  
"So?" Inuyasha shrugged. "It's not like we haven't shared a tent before."  
  
"Yeah - but the survival packs are only designed for one person! The tents inside them are tiddle sized!"  
  
Inuyasha bent down and opened the pack to pull out the tent in its packed down form. He threw it on the ground a short distance away and watched as it assembled itself (I used to have one of those when I was a kid - it was so cool!). He had to kick it a few times to make it completely pull itself together, but when it was done he cocked his head critically. "Well... it'll be a tight fit..."  
  
"There's only just room enough for you and your ego!" Kagome muttered, grabbing herself a sleeping bag and tossing it inside.  
  
"You're exaggerating." He shook his head. "If I've told you once I've told you a million times...  
  
"No - THAT'S exaggerating!" she huffed as she followed her sleeping bag into the tent. She set about arranging herself comfortably inside the compact little tent... but that was disturbed when Inuyasha found his way into the tent.  
  
"Guess what?" he said.  
  
"What?"  
  
"There's only one sleeping bag." He smirked.  
  
"Too bad I got this one first. Looks like you'll be sleeping on the floor." Kagome pointed to what little free space remained inside the tent.  
  
Inuyasha scowled. "Well... I guess I'll get dibs at food then."  
  
"We have food?" Kagome looked up, interested at once.  
  
They waited for nightfall by eating rations in the tent that time. They didn't have a gas stove like back at the camp, so they had to eat the stuff in the horrible foil wrappers.  
  
"It tastes like chicken..." Kagome sighed as she chewed her ration bar thoughtfully. "It always tastes like chicken..."  
  
"Mine tastes like salsa..." Inuyasha pulled a face.  
  
"So what's your problem?"  
  
"It's supposed to be chicken."  
  
Kagome laughed at this before deciding that Inuyasha wasn't such bad company... as long as he wasn't being a jerk.  
  
Since it was starting to get pretty dark already Kagome started to unzip her sleeping bag and crawled inside. "Don't forget to turn off the lantern."  
  
Inuyasha was haphazardly stuffing the rations back inside the pack without much care. "Just remember the rules, ok?"  
  
"You stay on your side, I'll stay on mine." Kagome nodded.  
  
He turned the lamp off and settled down on the bare floor... he was at least thankful that the tent kept away the cold breeze.  
  
A few minutes and lots of shifting later... they were both getting ticked off.  
  
"Inuyasha...?" Kagome hissed quietly. "Get your knee out of my back."  
  
"Hey - you're on my side - my knee can go in whatever is on my side."  
  
"No way - your knee is on MY side!"  
  
"No it isn't!" Inuyasha sat up and turned the lamp on again. "Look - my side is two feet - your side is two feet - YOU'RE bag is on my side, see?!"  
  
"I can't help it! The bag is three feet wide!" Kagome growled.  
  
"Then give me some!"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"I said no!" Kagome hugged it tighter around her. "I got it first!"  
  
"So you want me to die of hypothermia?!" Inuyasha snapped. "How'd you feel about that?"  
  
"All warm and tingly."  
  
"This isn't fair!"  
  
"You sound like a spoilt child, Inuyasha." She said smoothly.  
  
"Says you who's hogging all the blanket!" he snorted. "Which one of us is really spoilt - you just abuse your authority over me."  
  
Now Kagome felt a little bad. "Fine..." she unzipped the bag completely and spread one side over Inuyasha. "Stop squawking already..."  
  
They settled down for a little longer this time, occasionally turning and tossing and sighing and tutting. Until Kagome finally discovered she was running a little short of blanket. "Inuyasha..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Gimme some blanket."  
  
"How 'bout you give ME some blanket, I'm freezing."  
  
"I've got a huge draft on my side-"  
  
"Me too."  
  
Kagome sat up and checked. "Oh yeah..."  
  
"So that means you give me some." Inuyasha yanked the blanket out of Kagome's grasp and she gasped.  
  
"Meanie! Give that back!"  
  
"No! I'm cold!"  
  
"I'm cold and my arm and ankle hurts!" Kagome rose to his challenge.  
  
He sighed and rolled over to face her. "This would be solved and you and me moved a little closer towards the middle, you know."  
  
Kagome glared at him. "Dream on." she settled back down, even further away from him.  
  
"Fine... if you want to stay cold and get stiff joints in the morning that's fine by me." He sighed and rolled over again. "Sharing body heat isn't being suggestive, it's just being logical."  
  
Kagome frowned as she thought about this. "Fine... but no touching, ok?"  
  
They both shifted closer to the middle, both making sure that they were back to back and no closer than that. Kagome was quite pleased to find that it was indeed warmer to be closer to him, plus there was more blanket and no more draft.  
  
After quite a long time of nothing happening Kagome was on the verge of falling asleep. Suddenly Inuyasha rolled over in his sleep and his knee began to dig into Kagome's back again. She sighed as she was roused from her light doze. "Inuyasha... move your damn knee..."  
  
"My knee's no where near you." He replied, equally as sleepy.  
  
"Then what is poking my spine?"  
  
"I dunno... my crotch?"  
  
Kagome shot awake at once and gave him a shove. "PIG!"  
  
"Kidding! It was my elbow!" he quickly tried to defend himself from her wrath.  
  
"You are sleeping outside!"  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Go on! Get out! I don't care if it was your elbow! You're not sleeping in here with an attitude like that!" she all but kicked him out.  
  
"See if I care, bitch!" he snapped and found himself a relatively comfortably seat in front of tent.  
  
Kagome sighed in relief and spread her body out, though she was a little disappointed because it wasn't so warm anymore, but at least she had space now.  
  
Once more, she was just about to get back to sleep when in the distance she thought she could hear wolves baying to the moon. "Um... Inuyasha...?"  
  
"Yeah?" Came his reply from just outside again.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
The wolf calls continued for a little while before they soon stopped... and then she was certain she could hear something moving in the foliage around the tent... definitely more than one thing...  
  
"Inuyasha?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Do you wanna come back inside?" She asked quickly. Partially because she wouldn't be able to live withherself if she let him be eaten by ravenous wolves... and partially because she didn't want to be alone if there really were wolves out there.  
  
"Glad you see sense." He remarked as he crawled back inside and settled under the covers, quite proud of his wolf impression and ability to throw stones at the bushes nearby.  
  
Kagome inched closer to him, despite her earlier feelings... great... how on earth was he supposed to get some sleep now?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(A/N: Hmm... well, next chapter is 'Cooties'... I wonder what you're all thinking about that title... ^_^) 


	10. Cooties

Disclaimer: I don't get any profit out of these stories, only enjoyment. Though it's too bad I don't get money... sigh...  
  
(A/N: having a hair-pulling stress day. My hamster escaped yesterday and I've been searching the entire house for the stupid mouse... I found I this morning... well... I heard it... and it's in the walls. Why me? Well... it's either my hamster or a rat, and I'm really hoping it's a hamster. If anyone has any idea how to get a hamster out of a wall then please tell me... I'm desperate...)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Two Faced:  
  
Cooties  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"I can see the tree line up ahead."  
  
"About damn time." Kagome remarked, she would have taken a look, but she'd been slung over Inuyasha's shoulder again and didn't really have a good view. Though... it could be considered a good view because the only thing she could see was Inuyasha's ass... definitely not a bad thing. Of course, she'd never dare tell him, otherwise he'd probably just drop her.  
  
"Oh look..." Inuyasha sounded surprised.  
  
"At what?"  
  
Inuyasha gently let Kagome slide down his arm to find her feet and she quickly turned on one leg (like a flamingo) to see they were at the edge of a rather small... fairly primitive looking village. "How quaint." Kagome said with a pleased smile. Maybe they were closer to finding her father than she'd thought.  
  
"I'm surprised it's still here." Inuyasha said.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because villages close to the dark forest often high mortality rates." He slanted a look at her.  
  
"Right... because of demons..." Kagome noticed that up ahead the small village seemed to have quite a few residents. From here she could see that they wore the clothes of farmers and poor people, no vogue magazines to be seen for miles. Though it wasn't surprising, since this place was overrun with demons most of the time and the fast paced world of technology had been moved to the other side of the forest where demons wouldn't get at it.  
  
"We should ask someone if they've seen my dad or Sango and Miroku's group." Kagome was already limping away before Inuyasha could argue with her. She waved to a nearby villager. "Excuse me - I need some help!"  
  
The villager glanced up to see Kagome rushing towards him, obviously injured, and behind her a demon was rapidly catching up. He drew his own conclusions. "Raid! Demon! Raid!"  
  
At once several other villagers suddenly looked up to see the same sight and grabbed whatever weapons they could find and charged at Inuyasha who had stopped just behind a surprised looking Kagome.  
  
"Out of the way, lass!" one man yelled and Kagome was tugged out of the way as several poles and planks of wood hit Inuyasha.  
  
"Wait!" Kagome yelled.  
  
The poles and planks of wood shattered and Inuyasha remained standing where he was, looking just as surprised as before. "Well, hello to you too." He remarked.  
  
"It's ok - he's a nice demon!" Kagome told the people quickly.  
  
There was a moment of silence as the villagers processed this before shrugging or apologising, but walking off nonetheless.  
  
Kagome had just about forgotten what she was about to ask after that little interlude, but it suddenly came to her as she saw the people walking away. She grabbed one of the men by the sleeve. "Excuse me, sir, but have you seen any plane crash victims around here?"  
  
"Dead ones?" he looked at her peculiarly.  
  
"Um... no, alive ones."  
  
"I haven't seen any, but ask Mayu - she works at the inn, she sees a lot of people come through these parts." The villager offered.  
  
"Thank you." Kagome smiled as the man walked off again. When Inuyasha arrived at her side she switched her worried gaze to him. "You alright?"  
  
"Huh - oh yeah, fine." Inuyasha rubbed his slightly sore head. He should really have seen this coming, but it had totally slipped his mind. Living with his stepfather's people had been a pretty cushy life... no one usually came chasing after him with planks of wood with nails in them. Well... not any more... maybe when he had been a kid and kept stealing cookies...  
  
"That guy said we have to go see the lady at the inn - she might know where my father is..."  
  
"That's presuming he isn't dead." Inuyasha pointed out as Kagome started limping in the direction of the building with the signpost outside indicating it was the local inn.  
  
"I'll kill him if he's dead - so he better not be." Kagome said breezily as she limped along on her way. Inuyasha slipped ahead of her and held the door open for her so she wouldn't strain her arm... that little moment of thoughtfulness on his part made her slightly surprised... but he didn't seem to think much of it.  
  
"Excuse me, miss..." Kagome leaned on the front desk with her good arm while the lady behind the counter turned and smiled automatically. "Are you Mayu?"  
  
"Yes. How can I help?"  
  
"Um... we were just wondering if you'd seen any plane crash victims around here..." Kagome asked.  
  
"You mean, besides you two?"  
  
Inuyasha whistled. "Wow, she's good."  
  
"Yeah." Kagome nodded. "Have you seen anyone?"  
  
"Hmm... well I heard tell that a village in the east was recently housing some plane crash victims... a large group of men and a few women."  
  
"Young or old?" Kagome pressed.  
  
"Not sure, my friend at the inn over there didn't elaborate." Mayu shook her head.  
  
Kagome glanced back at Inuyasha. "That could be either dad's crew or Miroku's..."  
  
"It's probably dad's lot." Inuyasha shrugged. "Miroku's group wouldn't have had time to travel that far."  
  
"Ok - thanks a lot!" Kagome smiled and turned. "Come on Inuyasha, we better get a move on if we are going to catch up-"  
  
"Where do you think you're going?" Inuyasha scoffed. "We just got here!"  
  
"So?"  
  
"So -I'm tired and hungry and my feet are sore from carrying your weight around all day." Inuyasha folded his arms. "I want a bath too..."  
  
Come to think of it, Kagome felt exactly the same way. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to take a rest, after all, neither of them had got much sleep the night before and they were both very weary and dirty. "Ok..."  
  
"You want rooms for tonight?" Mayu asked, getting out her checking in book.  
  
"Yep." Inuyasha said happily.  
  
"Two rooms costs three thousand yen." Mayu said easily.  
  
"What? I don't have that kind of money on me!"  
  
"That's for each room." Mayu added.  
  
"Is that with or without caviar and champagne?" Inuyasha remarked sarcastically.  
  
Kagome sighed as Inuyasha slipped once more into his jerk role and let her gaze wonder to the posters and leaflets around the desk. Then she noticed something rather interesting. Something that could save them a lot of money... Inuyasha wasn't going to like it, but he would have to if he wanted that bath.  
  
"It's ok darling," Kagome suddenly stepped forward and slipped her arm through his. "I'm sure we can find more cheaper accommodation for our honey moon somewhere else..."  
  
Inuyasha stared at her. "You've finally lost it, haven't you...?"  
  
"No, it's ok, I don't mind finding somewhere else." Kagome smiled up at him with love and adoration. "I mean... we did blow all our money on the flight here for the holiday... and it crashed as well... so maybe we'll get lucky and find an old refrigerator box to sleep in tonight."  
  
"Wait - are you two newlyweds?" Mayu asked suddenly.  
  
"No..." Inuyasha scowled.  
  
"Yes!" Kagome said cheerfully, giving him a nudge. "No need to be shy, honey bun."  
  
"That's great!" Mayu pointed to a poster behind her. "We have a newly wed discount for new couples seeking holidays in the South... I can knock a few hundred yen off if you're strapped for cash... I'd really hate to make you sleep in boxes... again by the looks of you two."  
  
Kagome smiled. "Thank you!" she glanced up at a rather still Inuyasha. "Isn't that great, honey? Looks like our year is finally looking up!"  
  
"Yeah..." he nodded dumbly. Well at least he was playing along now.  
  
Mayu handed out their room keys. "Down the hall and turn left - the honeymoon suit is the one at the very end."  
  
Inuyasha's eye was beginning to twitch but Kagome just smiled. "Thank you very much!"  
  
She dragged Inuyasha off down the corridor.  
  
When they had entered the room and shut the door, Inuyasha remained frozen to the spot while Kagome flopped down happily on the bed. "Ah... god bless the man who invented mattresses."  
  
"I don't believe you..." Inuyasha shook his head with a frown.  
  
"Brilliant, aren't I?" Kagome smiled at him before picking up a little leaflet that had been laid on the silk sheets. "Hmm... free dining in the dining room from nine p.m. onwards - oh - free mints!"  
  
She grabbed one of the mints that had been laid out on the pillows and sighed happily as she popped it in her mouth. "It's been too long... I love chocolate..."  
  
"This is ridiculous! How can you lie like that?!" Inuyasha turned to start pacing.  
  
Kagome sneaked his mint while his back was turned. "Easy, I just open my mouth and-"  
  
"We're not married - you can't pretend to be married - we barely even like each other!" Inuyasha whirled on her.  
  
Kagome sealed her lips firmly. That had been a little harsh of him.  
  
Inuyasha spied the mint in her hand. "Is that my mint?"  
  
She looked down at the mint in her hand and quickly swallowed the one she had been chewing. "No..."  
  
"How many have you had?" he frowned.  
  
Kagome decided not to answer and went to pop her second mint into her mouth.  
  
"Oh no you don't-"  
  
He lunged at her and Kagome shrieked and fell back to avoid him. He began tickling her sides, half grappling for the mint in her hand. "No!" Kagome laughed and manoeuvred her hand so he wouldn't get it.  
  
"That's not fair! You've had yours already!"  
  
"So?" Kagome giggled as his fingers poked at her sides - her most ticklish spot so far. "S-stop it! You're n-not allowed..." she broke off in laughter before managing to catch her breath. "Not allowed to touch me!"  
  
"So?" Inuyasha grinned, echoing her earlier response.  
  
"You're not getting it!" Kagome quickly licked the mint and held it out. "You want it? Take it!"  
  
"Fine." He grabbed the mint and stuffed it in his mouth. Kagome started at him.  
  
Just then Mayu entered. "Here's the menu for tonight's... oh!" she froze as she saw Inuyasha positioned on top of Kagome, halfway through chewing a mint. "I-I didn't think you'd be so fast - goodbye!"  
  
She scurried out again, bright red. The door slammed shut before the menu hit the floor.  
  
Kagome and Inuyasha stared at the door before leaping away from each other. Kagome ran a hand through her hair, slightly flushed. "That's disgusting! I can't believe you ate that."  
  
"Why not?" He swallowed the mint.  
  
"What about cooties?" Kagome frowned.  
  
"Look - if you didn't kill the toad when you kissed it, Princess, then cooties probably won't kill me either." He smirked.  
  
"No jokes!" Kagome threw a cushion at him, but with a good-natured smile.  
  
Inuyasha suddenly stared at her though. "You used your bad arm."  
  
"What?" Kagome looked down at the arm she'd just used to complete the throw and flexed it in its sling. "It feels better..."  
  
"Maybe now you'll stop using your injuries as a guilt trip, hm?" he smirked.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"So you don't have any family at all?" Kagome asked as she leaned on the table with one arm and stirred her piping hot soup with her other hand, obviously taking full advantage of the fact she didn't have to use the itchy sling anymore.  
  
"Apart from my dad... I have a brother." Inuyasha shrugged as he rolled peas around his plate.  
  
"Brother?" Kagome looked up at him. "My dad never mentioned him."  
  
"No wonder, he's demon. My step father's never met him." Inuyasha stifled a yawn. Damn he was tired.  
  
Seeing Inuyasha's yawn she had to fight to keep from yawning herself, being that it was contagious. "Your father's son?" she guessed.  
  
He nodded. "What about you?"  
  
"Nope... no demons in my family."  
  
"No, I meant if you had any other family."  
  
Kagome thought for a moment. "I have my mom... and Souta - my little brother and Grandpa."  
  
Inuyasha seemed surprised. "I though you only had your dad."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because... I would have thought you'd be living with the rest of the family." He rested his chin on his palm.  
  
"My dad liked to keep me under his thumb a lot... he thought I was safer when I was surrounded by armed guards and whatever." Kagome smiled, but her eyes were cast down to her plate. "You know... for a while back there I thought... I thought if dad was really gone... then I could go home to the country."  
  
"I bet your dad would love to hear you say that."  
  
"But I still love him." Kagome said quickly. "I still have every intention of finding him and going home before this prophecy thing comes to pass."  
  
Inuyasha frowned. "So... what is this prophecy thing exactly?"  
  
"Like you don't know."  
  
"I mean... what exactly does it forecast? What does it say?" he watched her carefully.  
  
"Ohhh..." Kagome sighed and sat back. "My dad... he showed me a bit the prophecy - or a copy of it - when I was a kid. Actually... he's showed it to me so many I've memorised it."  
  
She lapsed into quiet and she mulled in her own thoughts for a few seconds. Inuyasha just waited and watched her patiently.  
  
"It starts of talking about a land divided into darkness and light with a wooden dam divider."  
  
"The northern and southern territory divided by the forest?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
Kagome nodded. "It goes on about the evils of the dark beings against the light beings... and that there shall be the one grey being that will cleanse the land and lead the people into light."  
  
"Are you the grey one?" Inuyasha frowned. "You don't look grey."  
  
"It's a metaphor." She shook her head. "The demons are the dark ones and the white ones are the humans... I'm grey because I'm supposed to be human but have the powers of demons."  
  
"How do they know you're the grey one?"  
  
"The prophecy says that the grey girl will have the name every man, woman and child will have known and sang." Kagome sighed. "You know... the Kagome, Kagome nursery rhyme?"  
  
"I never sang that." Inuyasha folded his arms.  
  
"I think it's going on assumption that everyone's heard it." She shrugged. "It then went on about to talk about a day of darkness that would rise within the dark lands..."  
  
"And...?"  
  
"I think... some of the prophecy was edited..." she sighed again. "It got a bit sketchy at that point - it just got very blunt."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"It's like it suddenly jumped to the point. It just said - 'and the world shall be cleansed of and black'"  
  
"Don't you mean 'cleansed of black'?" Inuyasha frowned.  
  
"No it said 'of and'. I thought it was a typo or something, but I checked other copies and they said the same thing."  
  
"Hey, maybe the guy who wrote it wasn't entirely sane in the membrane anyway." Inuyasha shrugged.  
  
"Yeah... but now everyone's got it in their head that I WANT to kill demons." Kagome scowled. "I used to know a bodyguard... everyone thought he was human - but he told me he was kitsune."  
  
Inuyasha started. "Was he employed to kill you?"  
  
"No." Kagome laughed. "He heard that I didn't want to be a part of the prophecy and wanted to help me... he was the first demon I ever got within three feet of..."  
  
"So what happened?"  
  
"He was killed..." she smiled sadly. "He took a bullet from a sniper."  
  
"Oh..." Inuyasha frowned.  
  
"So... you can see why I don't detest demons. It's not like all of them are going to be evil. I mean - you're not evil, and you're half demon." Kagome scowled. "In fact the most evil people in the world are the human activists who pick on demons."  
  
The same human activists that had killed his parents.  
  
Kagome suddenly looked past Inuyasha and noticed that the staff was watching them with delighted little smiles. She hid her smile behind her hand.  
  
Inuyasha stifled another yawn. "You done, yet? I'm beat, I wanna go to bed."  
  
"Yep, I'm done."  
  
He started to get up.  
  
"Wait!" Kagome whispered and he sat back down with a frown.  
  
"What?"  
  
"The staff are watching us - they think we're a real couple of newlyweds." Kagome said under her breath. "No - don't look!"  
  
"Well you did tell them that so it IS understandable." He shrugged.  
  
"Kiss me."  
  
He stared at her like she'd grown another head.  
  
"Oh - don't look at me like that! We're newlyweds remember?"  
  
"Did you hit your head or something and FORGET reality?" he hissed.  
  
"They're expecting us to be all lovey-dovey!" Kagome reasoned. "We have to prove that we really are newlyweds otherwise they might suspect something and kick us out."  
  
"But how can we prove it if we're NOT married?" he growled.  
  
"My kissing me." She smiled like he was being unreasonable. "Oh come on, you're acting like I'm asking you to chop off your own hand."  
  
"Same effect." He pulled a face. "I'm just irrational that way when girls ask me to kiss them out of the blue."  
  
"Is this because you've never kissed anyone before?" Kagome asked slyly.  
  
"I have SO kissed people before." He growled.  
  
"Then prove it to me." She smirked. "Or are you too chicken?"  
  
"I better get a bonus in my salary for this, you know."  
  
"You'll do it?"  
  
"Yeah, whatever..." he sighed and leaned before with a grimace.  
  
Kagome's expression mirrored his own as they both closed their eyes briefly as their lips met. They both drew back simultaneously and wiped their mouths with their sleeves.  
  
"Blargh..." Inuyasha pulled a face. "And you were worried about cooties before..."  
  
Kagome smiled despite his sour expression. "First one to the room gets the bed."  
  
"Huh?" he looked up to see Kagome dashing away. "Wait! I don't want the couch!"  
  
The two raced out the dining room and the staff cooed. "Aw... young love..." a waitress commented.  
  
"Can't wait to get into bed."  
  
Seriously, they couldn't wait at all.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(A/N: I'm knackered and it's only ten thirty... Oh well... next chapter will be 'Torn'.) 


	11. Torn

(A/N: Thank you for all the helpful tips about catching hamsters. My friend kept suggesting we should stick a blowtorch in at one end and see if any hamsters with flaming behinds shot out the other end. @_@ His liking for anything on fire worries me...  
  
Anyway, here's a new chapter that is bound to get everyone who reads this hopping mad at me. So I'd just like to apologise in advance for anything you read and don't like - so don't kill me ok?)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Two Faced  
  
Torn  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"And so there I was - with this golf club in one hand and a sandwich in the other, wondering how the heck I was going to get out of there alive." Kagome laughed as they stepped out of the inn the next morning.  
  
"Let me guess, you clubbed the guy to death with the golf club and ran to hide behind your bodyguards?" Inuyasha smirked.  
  
"Nope - I threw the sandwich at him and made a run for it with the golf club." Kagome finished with a smile.  
  
Inuyasha stopped short and stared at her. "You've got to have the worst sense of self-preservation I have ever known."  
  
Kagome smiled. "Well... I thought since he didn't like marmite sandwiches then I was pretty safe throwing the sandwich at him."  
  
"In other words, you didn't have the heart to crack the guys skull with a golf club?" Inuyasha decided.  
  
"Basically." Kagome agreed.  
  
"Kagome, Kagome, Kagome..." he sighed and tutted, shaking his head with contrived disappointment. "You are never going to live past seventeen if you stay as squeamish as you are now."  
  
Kagome frowned. "I don't have to be tough, that's why we hired YOU remember?"  
  
"Didn't you used to do martial arts?" he frowned back.  
  
"Um... a little... I never really took off on it, though. I was better at archery." She smiled. "But I did do a little when I was young."  
  
"Great." Inuyasha suddenly looked around spotted a few wooden poles propped up against the side of a small building. He lifted two of them away from the wall (though for all he knew they could have been holding it up), then brought them back. "Come on."  
  
Kagome followed him as he started down the track that lead away from the village and headed East through the forest, though it was a fairly worn track and safe looking.  
  
"What's with the poles?" Kagome eventually asked when they'd gone so far down the road that they couldn't see the village anymore.  
  
"Did you ever do pole work?" he asked.  
  
"A little... not much... only one lesson." She took one of the poles. "But I think I got the gist of it."  
  
"What, like this?" Inuyasha wielded the remaining pole and whirled it around in his hands, passing it from one to the other, making it flash before Kagome.  
  
"Well... not like THAT!" Kagome remarked when he finished and leant against it like a staff. "But I reckon I watched Star Wars episode one enough to master it."  
  
She showed him by moving her pole in a slow arc, complete with the 'zzhmm' sound effects of a light-sabre. Inuyasha laughed and took the pole from her. "Wow, I think every demon in this forest just ran for cover."  
  
"You bet they did." Kagome with superiority.  
  
Inuyasha grinned at her and shook his head. "I was just thinking I better give you some kind of weapon in case you ever need to defend yourself. After all, I'm not going to be around all the time."  
  
"What?" Kagome stilled. "Are you leaving me?"  
  
"No... I just meant that I might not be there sometimes because I might be in the little hanyou's room." He smiled. "And it's not like you could fend off demons or men with your puny muscles."  
  
"Oh thanks." Kagome nodded. "I feel so much better now."  
  
"What, like you know how to defend yourself properly if the time arose." He narrowed his eyes at her sceptically.  
  
"Well... I learn how to sew when I was six..." she frowned. "But I don't think you can actually kill anyone with a sewing needle."  
  
"Oh, you can." Inuyasha remarked off-handedly. "You could kill someone with a book if you put your mind to it."  
  
Kagome pulled a face. "I'm never gonna feel safe in a library again now, thanks."  
  
"Good, cause you're never gonna be safe wherever you go. You ARE the prodigal girl, people want you dead, you can't escape that." It was amazing how calmly he'd managed to say that.  
  
"And like I keep saying, that's what we're-"  
  
"Paying me for, I know." He finished for her and gave her a smile. "But I'd feel a lot better if you could defend yourself a little better than now."  
  
"Want me to defend myself? Give me a bow an arrow - I could make you dance by shooting arrows at your feet." She smirked.  
  
"Cocky, aren't we."  
  
"Let's keep moving." He quirked his head up the path they were following. "You wanna find your dad don't you?"  
  
Kagome nodded quickly and followed him as he started on their way again. They travelled in comfortable silence for a while before Inuyasha turned to her and said something that surprised her. "How's the ankle?"  
  
"Better." She said after a brief pause and then with a smile and a nod. "Look, I can even make myself not limp."  
  
She stiffened up her jaw as she suddenly changed her steps from a light limp to a careful, yet limp-free stroll. He smiled and shook his head. "Better not do that unless you really want to cripple yourself."  
  
"Mm." She agreed and went back to limping.  
  
"And the arm?"  
  
"Um... good... the bruising is going down." She nodded, turning away so he could see the faint blush that had rose for absolutely no reason other than the fact he was being sweet.  
  
"I'm glad." That certainly eased the guilt that he'd been the indirect cause of her injuries.  
  
The silence that stretched after that was a lot more uncomfortable than the one before. Kagome fiddled with the hem of her sleeves and looked off to the side. "Do you think Miroku and Sango are ok?"  
  
"Sure." Inuyasha shrugged, though he wouldn't have liked to bet on it.  
  
"I was just wondering if anything new had happened with them. Sango... stuck on her own with a bunch of men." Kagome shook her head. "Her worst nightmare come true."  
  
"She'll have what'shername... um... Kikyo."  
  
"Oh yeah, like she's happy company." Kagome rolled her eyes. "That girl always manages to look at everything and see only the negative things. I don't get her problem."  
  
Inuyasha kept his mouth shut.  
  
Kagome was just about to say something when Inuyasha had another heart attack. He took out his phone and read the message. Just a simple 'call me' from his brother.  
  
"I still can't believe you can't call for help with that thing." Kagome sighed. "What kind of lame phone doesn't allow you to call people in emergencies like this?"  
  
"A phone without any credit?" Inuyasha guessed and slipped the phone back into his pocket. He heard a stream, or a creak tinkling nearby and stopped. "Kagome... you wanna go get a drink or something or rest your feet? It's a long way to the village and there's a stream just down there."  
  
He pointed off the road to the left and she smiled at him suddenly. "That's very considerate of you." She started in the direction he'd pointed out. "I'll be right back."  
  
Inuyasha waited until he was definitely sure she was out of earshot when he took his phone out again and called his brother's number.  
  
"We know she's alive and with you Inuyasha." His brother said as way of answering the phone.  
  
"Look, I can explain-"  
  
"Save it." Sesshomaru answered shortly. "We heard news from the rest of the flight group that crashed with you that you got separated with the girl. Good work. Though I have to say it was a little cowardly of you not to kill them or her straight away."  
  
"Who told you?" Inuyasha demanded.  
  
"We listened in on a call that was made by Major Houshi this morning. He says you and her are missing but they've heard a rumour that you are around the forest area."  
  
Inuyasha held his tongue. He was going to be in trouble for not killing Kagome yet, he knew it.  
  
"We want you to know that we are waiting on the ridge between the village you just left and the village you are heading to."  
  
Inuyasha froze. How the hell had they gotten that information? How the hell had they gotten there anyway?  
  
"Lead the girl towards the village she thinks her father is in. We'll ambush her at the top of the ridge." Sesshomaru disconnected suddenly and Inuyasha slipped his phone away again.  
  
Looking ahead he could see that the path they were travelling carried on along flat ground for almost half a mile in a straight line, until it suddenly took a sharp upwards turn... that was the ridge. His brother would be waiting there with the rest of cell 24.  
  
This was Kagome's last few minutes of life.  
  
After that thought he suddenly found it was a little difficult to breathe and ran a hand through his hair between his ears. Suddenly he didn't feel so confident anymore. No matter how much he wanted to slap himself for saying so... he quite liked Kagome's company. She wasn't evil mean or a power monger like everyone made her out to be... she was just a teenage girl with more trouble on her shoulders than was necessary.  
  
He almost started when he heard Kagome coming back up the embankment at the side of the dirt road. She smiled when she saw him. "All done."  
  
They started off without a word and Inuyasha found it difficult to walk. Every footstep seemed to take his energy away and he didn't want to go on. But he had a choice.  
  
Let Kagome live and indirectly end up killing an entire race of people including his brother...  
  
Or let them kill Kagome and save millions.  
  
One life or thousands.  
  
It was obvious his choice if it was put as simply as that. But nothing was that simple. Ethics, intentions and morals all jumped into play and gave good and bad reasons why he should do one thing or another.  
  
They were approaching the ridge now and if he looked ahead he could see the top... though he couldn't see any of his brother's cell lying in wait. But of course he wouldn't, they were highly trained professionals... they wouldn't let anything give away their presence.  
  
He suddenly stopped but Kagome carried on.  
  
This was it. Literally, millions of lives hung in the balance and he had the choice of whether or not they would live or die. Save one or save millions... let her continue walking to her death her stop her...?  
  
The pressure was amazingly intense, but Kagome carried on walking with a slight smile, completely unaware that anything was wrong.  
  
"Kagome - stop!" Inuyasha yelled at once and she halted slowly and looked around with a puzzled expression.  
  
"What's the matter?" she asked with a frown and a smile. Why did she have to be so pleasant...? This would be so much easier if she was an ugly, mean tempered bitch... but then if she were she wouldn't be Kagome.  
  
"Kagome you have to-"  
  
A shot suddenly rang out and Kagome's face contorted in pain as she cried out sharply and fell to her knees.  
  
"Kagome!" Inuyasha lurched forward to catch her before she fell.  
  
Kagome clawed at something on her back, before pulling her hand away and looking at the hefty dart which had struck her. Her mind was already slowing so it took her a few moments to register what was going on. she glanced up at Inuyasha whose chest she had fallen against. "Inuyasha...?"  
  
Inuyasha's eyes were fixed on the path up ahead where he could see Kouga, Kagura, Yura and Sesshomaru moving towards them. Kagome sensed more than heard them coming and suddenly tore herself away from Inuyasha and staggered around to face them. When she realised they were demons, even though the looked human enough, her confusion turned to fear and she backed up against Inuyasha.  
  
"Don't come... n..." she stumbled over her words. "N-near me...!"  
  
Unsurprisingly, they didn't heed her warning and she tugged at Inuyasha's jacket sleeve as dark spots danced before her eyes. "Inuyasha..." why wasn't he doing anything? She glanced up to find him glaring at the ground, making no move to protect her or comfort her.  
  
"Good thing you made her stop, Inuyasha." Kagura commented. "I don't think I could have hit a moving target."  
  
"Well done, little brother..." Sesshomaru said with a calm, small smiled.  
  
Kagome's breathing came in laboured pants as she staggered away from Inuyasha, watching him with shock and complete betrayal. "You..."  
  
She cried out in pain as her ankle gave out underneath her and she fell to the ground, her head swimming.  
  
"Get her." Sesshomaru gestured the others forward who seized her by the arms.  
  
"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed and fought with what little weakening strength she had left.  
  
He looked up at her then, but he did nothing, and he really wished he hadn't looked.  
  
Just the moment before she fell into darkness she glanced up at him with an expression filled with betrayal and hatred. It pierced his chest and struck right to the heart, swifter than any arrow she could have fired. He felt like a monster, because that was the last thing she would ever think of him.  
  
Sesshomaru clapped his younger brother's shoulder. "You did good."  
  
Inuyasha didn't respond. He just stiffened and looked away. Kagome wasn't the only one who hated him right then. He didn't think she could have hated him more than he hated himself.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(A/N: next chapter - 'The Real Prophecy'.) 


	12. The Real Prophesy

Disclaimer: whatever...  
  
(A/N: Sorry it's been a while, but I caught the flu and was down for the count for a while. All better now, and I'm glad to say I aced an English, Original Writing coursework piece. I really think writing these stories have improved my skills. So I'll be continuing for some time to come ^_^  
  
You'll have to excuse any spelling or grammatical errors in the following chapter. I have to use a new keyboard because my normal one broke, and this one is diddy and everything is in the wrong place... it just doesn't feel right to type... But I'll manage.)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Two Faced  
  
The Real Prophesy  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The land has been and as will always be divided unto light and darkness  
  
A wooden dam shall always be the divider  
  
As always shall the dark ones divide the white and pure ones  
  
Until is the day the darkness will rise within the darkest regions of the darkest ones  
  
The grey one shall come bearing the name every man, woman and child has heard and sung  
  
For that shall be the day all lands will be rid of darkness and evil, the world led into light and the world cleansed of and black  
  
  
  
  
  
(no typos, I swear ^_^)  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Every now and then she slipped in and out of consciousness, only vaguely aware of snippets of conversation going on around her and sometimes a rather cold sensation in her limbs. But she forgot it all the moment she fell back unconscious.  
  
"We should kill her." Kouga said pointedly for what was probably the fifth time in the last five minutes.  
  
"Not until she wakes up... we have to make it slow." Yura snapped at him.  
  
Kagura was slowly shaking her head at the other two while Sesshomaru kept his eyes fixed on the girl slumped on the floor with her hands tied behind her back to an old rusty iron pole that was connected to the floor and the ceiling of their bunker. Every now and then she stirred and sometimes mumbled something incoherent, but usually fell back asleep. Horse tranquilliser didn't appear to sit well with this girl.  
  
"Inuyasha..." Sesshomaru glanced back at his younger brother who was stood further back than the rest of the cell. "Is anyone else other than this girl aware of your betrayal?"  
  
Inuyasha glanced up from the floor, before quickly shaking his head and looking back.  
  
Sesshomaru nodded. "Then you won't be persecuted back north." He turned and started to leave. "Kill her when she wakes."  
  
"Wait!" Inuyasha's head shot up at once and he moved to block his brother's exit. Sesshomaru looked down at him expectantly while Inuyasha's thoughts raced for some kind of excuse.  
  
"Well?" Yura eventually asked when the silence had stretched on.  
  
"You shouldn't kill her..." Inuyasha stammered for an excuse. "I mean... we've waited for SO long for this moment... can't we draw it out?"  
  
"That's why we're going to kill her slo~wly." Kouga said as if he was talking to a thick child.  
  
"Well she won't last that long - she's pretty weak." Inuyasha forced a presumptuous snort. "Why don't we demand a ransom from the people back in the North - they'll pay up in a matter of days since they want her safety assured for the day of darkness which is gonna be here soon."  
  
"A ransom?" Kagura frowned.  
  
"At least that way we'll get some money out of this." Inuyasha stated. He noticed the doubtful looks and quickly added, "Then we can kill her."  
  
"That'll take too long." Kagura folded her arms with a pout and glanced up towards Sesshomaru. "He can't be serious."  
  
"Kagura..." The older brother watched Inuyasha as he spoke to the woman. "Do you have any idea how much our militia costs to run and keep together?"  
  
Kagura shifted. "A lot...?"  
  
"Correct. This girl is an expensive little bitch, we may need to get some refund claims." Sesshomaru started to walk out of the bunker again. "Don't kill her, but set the dogs up outside. Inuyasha and Yura, you two stay in here and guard her properly."  
  
Kouga and Kagura filtered out after Sesshomaru, sending doubtful glances back in Inuyasha's direction. He ignored them and slid back down the wall to the floor with a sigh. Yura stared at him a moment before returning her attention to the human girl and cracking her knuckles. "Whoever said we needed to make sure needed to be injury free, eh Inuyasha?"  
  
"Touch her and I rip your head off." He snarled.  
  
Yura snapped a sharp glare at her. "Oh yeah? A puny half-caste demon like you?" she laughed. "My sides shall split!"  
  
Inuyasha was just about to go over there and demonstrate how effectively her sides really could split, when a groan from Kagome silenced them both. It seemed at last that Kagome was waking up seriously this time.  
  
Yura smiled slowly and crouched down beside the slumped over girl. She inhaled deeply and cocked her head a moment as Kagome frowned lightly. Then, as quick as a whip, Yura's hand snapped out and wrenched Kagome up by her hair. The girl gave a sharp startled cry as her head cracked back against the iron pole and spots danced before her eyes. Inuyasha started to go to her, before catching himself and forcibly making himself stand stiffly and glare at the floor.  
  
"Oh sorry... did that hurt?" Yura touched her lips with her fingers as though sorry, before dropping them to reveal a smirk. "You can't sleep on your time, bitch, you go by our rules now."  
  
Kagome's head lolled and for a moment she thought she was going to fall asleep again, before forcing her head back up. That stupid prophesy that her father had ingrained into her memory kept flashing through her mind... that and a lot of lights. She couldn't really focus on much else.  
  
"Where... am I?" Kagome croaked from a dry throat.  
  
"Good question." Yura sat down comfortably before Kagome. "Can't tell you either."  
  
Kagome opened her eyes and winced as focusing on Yura made her head swim, but after a moment it began to clear. "W-who are you?"  
  
"Yura." Said Yura.  
  
"You..." Kagome struggled to remember. "You... were with them... you shot me..."  
  
"No, we darted you... and that was Kagura." Yura smirked.  
  
"Inuyasha will come for me... he'll make you pay..." Kagome mumbled, clearing not remembering all of that she had suffered.  
  
Yura's smiled spread into a delighted grin. "You don't remember, do you?!" she laughed and clapped her hands together. "This is wonderful - Inuyasha, come here a moment."  
  
Inuyasha didn't move, but he didn't need to. Kagome's eyes trailed in the direction Yura had indicated and saw him standing a few metres away, partly obscured by shadows. For a moment she wondered why he was just standing there and not defending her like he usually did. And then that image surfaced from her memory. He was one of THEM...  
  
"You... betrayed me..." Kagome said in an unusually calm voice.  
  
Yura grinned like a Cheshire cat. "He did more than that... he was never with you to betray you in the first place." She glanced back at Inuyasha. "Tell her what you did!"  
  
Inuyasha said nothing, he didn't even move. He was afraid to look up and meet Kagome's gaze, he had no idea how she was feeling about him... he didn't really want to find out either.  
  
Yura shrugged. "Puppy lost his tongue." She glanced back at Kagome with a smile. "Remember the car bomb and the sniper?"  
  
Kagome's stomach clenched. "Yes..."  
  
"HE made the bomb... he killed your last bodyguard and your driver and tried to kill you too." Yura said slowly.  
  
Kagome didn't take her eyes off Inuyasha. The Inuyasha she had grown to know and appreciate had been grumpy... irritable, short-tempered and impatient... but he'd been loyal, sweet, careful and responsible. Had that all been a lie?  
  
"He killed your bodyguard so he could take his place." Yura smiled. It was stretching the truth a bit but Inuyasha was in no position to set her straight. "And the plane crash?"  
  
"Yes..." Kagome said in a flat voice.  
  
"He caused it... he planned to kill you and all the crew... he failed - again - but at least he managed to rid the world of a few soldiers." Yura smirked. "You're lucky he hasn't tried to kill you during your time alone together... he deliberately separated you from the others so he could go back and kill the rest and then take care of you."  
  
Kagome's breath caught in her throat. "Sango!"  
  
"And the Major Houshi, too." Yura was enjoying the tension shooting between the two. "And if you don't believe us... look over there..."  
  
Yura glanced off into the shadows behind Inuyasha. Kagome glanced past him and for the first time noticed a boot clad foot protruding from the darkness, the rest of the body hidden from view.  
  
"Oh god..." Kagome felt very sick all of a sudden.  
  
"He was the Kenji fellow I think." Yura smirked and sat back to enjoy the silence. After a few moments of pure soundless seconds where only the high pitched whining in the ears could be heard she stood and headed towards the door. "I'll leave you two to talk it through."  
  
She shut the door behind her when she walked out, leaving the pair alone in absolute silence. Inuyasha had a rather prominent feeling that Kagome was staring at him, and he was still partially afraid to look up and face her. There was no way she would forgive him for this...  
  
Eventually he chanced a glance in her direction and noticed that she was staring straight ahead without much expression. He wasn't sure if he should be happy that she wasn't screaming obscenities at him or not. And after a while the silence was becoming deafening and he had to speak. "Say something..."  
  
She flicked her gaze on him. "Hello..."  
  
Wasn't she angry. He frowned at her and she sighed and looked away. "Thank you..."  
  
This just confused him even more. "Thank you... for what?" he frowned further.  
  
"For showing me how naïve and stupid and ridiculous my views of demons were." She clenched her fists from where they were securely bound behind her back, around the pole. "For showing me how stupid I was..."  
  
Inuyasha opened his mouth to protest... but he just knew that the rest of his cell was within earshot, and he shouldn't say anything to bring them doubt. "They weren't stupid views..." he said quietly.  
  
Kagome just shook her head and leant it back against the pole with a sigh. "Why...?" at his puzzled looked she elaborated. "Why did you do this?"  
  
"Because you can't be allowed to commit genocide."  
  
She had to bite her tongue from shrewdly pointing out that she didn't PLAN on committing anything to anyone. But no point explaining that to a murderer who just didn't understand her reluctance to take like. "Demons killed your parents... why side yourself with them?" she asked sharply.  
  
"That's just a lie my step dad made up to hide the truth! Humans killed my dad and then they killed my mother!" Inuyasha snapped. "I sided myself with my own kind, Kagome, like you side yourself with yours."  
  
Kagome clenched her jaw for a moment before managing to keep a hold of her anger. But the urge to yell at him was overpowering. "I suppose this is where I take off from all the movies and say I don't blame you..." she said in a low shaky voice. "It's not your fault your parents were murdered by humans... it's not your fault you fell in with a bad crowd... you couldn't help it..."  
  
Inuyasha sighed. Sometimes he just couldn't understand how understanding she could be.  
  
"But this isn't the movies, is it?" Kagome glanced up at him sharply and saw him start. "The point is you KNEW where you stood from the start, didn't you? You chose your own path and decided at some point that I had to pay for someone else's mistakes!"  
  
Inuyasha stared at her as she shook with anger, her rage becoming apparent in her voice. "You killed my best friend! You tried to kill me! MORE than ONCE! And each time you tricked me into thinking you were there to protect me! You even held me and offered pitiful attempts at comfort for the things you were doing - thinking I wouldn't understand! But I understand perfectly Inuyasha!"  
  
"Kagome-"  
  
"You were lying to me from the start - you hated me the minute you walked in that room and started insulting me! Why the hell I didn't see this coming I don't know! You two-faced sonofabitch!!" Kagome yanked at her tied hands as anger surged through her. "I don't blame you - I pity you! You deserve each other! I hate you! I HATE you all!"  
  
"You haven't even given me the chance to explain myself yet-"  
  
"What's to explain?!" Kagome yelled angrily, tears blurring his image. "You cheated me! And you know that saying - Fool me once and you're to blame - fool me twice and I'm to blame?! Well get this - this is the first time so you can't argue that this isn't your fault! You duped me into believing I could trust you!"  
  
"You could!"  
  
"You had the NERVE to say back there 'trust me' and I believed you!" Kagome screamed. "I trusted you! And for the first time in my entire life I thought maybe that I could have a boyfriend like a normal girl!"  
  
"You mean... me?!" he did a good impression of a goldfish in shock.  
  
"No - Miroku - who do you think?!" she spat sarcastically. "You kept saying and doing things that made me think 'maybe' - but now I realise that those were temporary mental lapses or small strokes!"  
  
"I never meant it to be like this, Kagome!"  
  
"Oh I'm sure!" Kagome hissed. "I bet this is just killing you, isn't it!"  
  
Her sarcasm was truer than she realised. And Inuyasha, being fed-up of her scathing tone and remarks just growled and stomped out, slamming the door behind him.  
  
Kagome wriggled against her bonds, her anger pumping through her veins by the gallon... she couldn't remember a time when she'd been so angry. She'd meant every word - a traitor held no place in her heart. She hated Inuyasha. She'd hate him forever.  
  
A quarter of an hour later the adrenaline and anger seemed to subside a little and it was slowly replaced with something akin to panic and shock at her situation. The full impact of Inuyasha's real intentions was like a punch to the face... and she started to turn that hate she felt into misery... until she couldn't contain it anymore.  
  
So she cried quietly, hoping none of those monsters would enter anytime soon and find her in such a state. She still had her pride at least...  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Four hours later and no one had paid her a visit, and she'd been rubbing away at the ropes around her wrists with ferocity. The rusty pole made a poor substitute for a saw, but the rough edges cut the fibres of the ropes one strand at a time. As long as she kept it up she would be able to make a run for it... and she wasn't afraid to try anything to get away. She'd rather die quickly and free than slowly and painfully.  
  
Something snapped behind her and she jerked her hands free with a gasp of pain and relief. She sat for a moment, tenderly rubbing the welts that had risen on her wrists. After a few seconds of rubbing the feeling back into her numb legs she staggered to her feet and started to limp towards the door.  
  
This was it. Her chance to escape. She'd probably only ever get one chance.  
  
She threw the door open and ran as fast as she could in a blind direction. She saw that there was a second bunker in the corner of her eye and realised that was where the demons were situated. If she could just-  
  
A sudden canine snarl and many loud ferocious barks stopped her in her tracks as she suddenly found herself faced with two enormous dogs. They were almost as tall as she was and they were on all fours! Kagome backed away slowly wondering what the heck she was supposed to do now. There was no way she could get past.  
  
Inside the second bunker Sesshomaru glanced up at the sound of the guard dogs throwing a fit. Their prisoner was trying to escape. "Inuyasha, go fetch her."  
  
He was sat against the wall, away from the others, and he made no move to follow those orders. He just ignored his older brother like he hadn't heard him.  
  
"Inuyasha..." Sesshomaru repeated with a hint of menace in his tone.  
  
Inuyasha got up and headed for the door without a word. Just as he stepped outside he heard a scream and a tear of fabric. He saw Kagome huff indignantly and grab for remnants of her skirt that hung from one of the large dog's mouth. "Give that back you big mutt!"  
  
"Leave the dog alone." Inuyasha said flatly.  
  
Kagome spun at the sound of his voice to face him with a terse expression before pivoting again and seemed about to sprint off into the woods, regardless of whether the dogs would chew her up.  
  
Inuyasha was behind her in an eye blink and had grabbed the last of her skirt to keep her in place. "Do you wanna become a dogs' dinner? No matter how much you look like one?"  
  
"Shut up! Let me go!" she wasn't moving, mostly because she was afraid about what would happen if the last of her skirt gave away.  
  
"And let you get yourself killed?" he snorted. "Not yet."  
  
Kagome turned back to him with suddenly pleading eyes. The change in attitude sent Inuyasha for a loop. "Please - don't let them kill me, Inuyasha! I swear! I've never hurt anyone and I don't plan to in the near future! Please don't condemn me for something you KNOW I haven't done!"  
  
He was almost tempted to let her skirt go. Almost.  
  
"Just go back inside." He said flatly. His brother could hear him well enough from here and he didn't need anything incriminating.  
  
"Please!" Kagome gripped the front of his jacket in her hands and twisted the material with her fists. "I don't want to die!"  
  
A silent beat passed between them, but after a few moments Inuyasha just grabbed her wrists tightly and dragged her back in the direction of the hut. He whistled to the dogs to make them follow them inside.  
  
"No!" Kagome squirmed in his grip and threw her weight around, trying to dislodge him. But she was no match for a boy who could lift elephants but she struggled anyway. "Inuyasha - don't do this to me! I thought we were friends!"  
  
"We can't be friends!" Inuyasha snapped as he fastened another length of rope around the pole and her wrists. "Demons and humans can't coexist! It's impossible! And we can't be friends either!"  
  
Kagome flailed her good leg out and kicked him soundly in the side of the head. "Hey, bitch!"  
  
"Listen to yourself! You sound like one of them! I know you! I know you can't be like this!" she cried with anguish.  
  
"Then you don't know as well as you thought you did." He caught her ankles and tied them together, a little gently than necessary since he didn't want to hurt her sprained ankle.  
  
Kagome felt the distinct restriction he was putting on himself when he'd tied her bad ankle. Did he pity her? Did he sympathise or empathise? Or was this 'hidden' side to him all a big hoax?  
  
"Don't try to escape again otherwise the dogs will attack you." He gestured to the animals as he passed them on his way out.  
  
Kagome mulled over this silently for a good quarter of an hour, glaring at the dogs with challenge before kicking up a fuss and screaming at the top of her lungs. "LET ME OUT! RIGHT NOW!!!! DO IT OR I USE MY POWERS ON ALL OF YOU!!"  
  
A total fib of course, but they probably knew that anyway.  
  
"AM I WEARING A BIG SIGN ON MY BACK SAYING 'KICK ME' OR 'BLOW ME UP'????!!! LET ME OUT OF HERE OR ELSE YOU'LL ALL SUFFER DIRE CONSEQUENCES!!"  
  
She continue to yell like that for over half an hour, her voice getting a little hoarse but not decreasing in volume any less.  
  
"...AND THE NAVY, AND THE MARINES, AND THE AIRFORCE!!! THEY'LL ALL HUNT YOU DOWN LIKE THE SCUM YOU ARE UNTIL-"  
  
The door was thrown open, interrupting her ballad. "Would you please shut up?! You're giving us all a headache!" Kagura groaned as she rubbed her temples.  
  
"BITE ME!" Kagome yelled at the top of her lungs.  
  
"Don't have fangs, you'll have to ask Kouga for that." Kagura rummaged around in her pocket as she approached Kagome who recoiled in fear.  
  
She crouched down before the tether girl and pulled out three white pills before shoving them in Kagome's mouth. The younger girl was just about to spit them out when Kagura gripped Kagome's jaw tightly and forced her chin up. "Swallow them." She ordered.  
  
Kagome refused, but her tongue seemed to betray her as she gagged against the pills. It was either swallow or choke on them. So she did the stupid thing and swallowed reflexively. Kagura released her sharply and patted her on the head. "Sleep well, little girl."  
  
  
  
  
  
She walked out again and when one of the large dogs growled at her as she passed, she snapped him on the muzzle with a concealed fan. "Stupid animal..." she muttered before closing the door.  
  
Kagome felt her eyelids suddenly grow rather heavy and she felt very tired all of a sudden. She suspected Kagura had just given her sleeping pills... or cyanide. Either way she couldn't stop herself from falling deeply asleep.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
General Taijiya, Sango's father, sat before the senate meeting slowly rereading the ransom letter that had been delivered. He wasn't at all shocked. He should have known that worthless hanyou would have led to something like this. But since that certain hanyou's stepfather was present at the meeting he didn't dare voice his opinions.  
  
"So what should be done?" The Prime Minister asked eventually when the general set down the note.  
  
"It's obvious." The man who was filling Mr Higurashi's seat at the table scoffed. "We deliver the money and free the girl this instant. We can't have her falling into the hands of the enemy so close to the day of darkness."  
  
There were assorted nods here and there.  
  
"That may not be so wise..." the Prime Minister commented.  
  
Everyone looked at him. He slid a black folder that sat before him on his desk towards the General. After a moment the military man realised the PM wanted him to open it. He did so and looked inside. He read what was written on the piece of paper he held before a surprised expression crossed his face. "Well I'll be..."  
  
"Read it out." The Prime Minister said since there were so many curious expressions around the table.  
  
"The land has been and as will always be divided unto light and darkness, A wooden dam shall always be the divider, As always shall the dark ones divide the white and pure ones, Until is the day the darkness will rise within the darkest regions of the darkest ones-"  
  
"So? It's the prophesy... what of it?" someone asked.  
  
"Continue reading it all." The Prime Minister said simply. "There are parts that have been skipped previously in that document."  
  
"The grey one shall come bearing the name every man, woman and child has heard and sung..." the general began to frown. "And into the darkest hours of the era the grey shall fall into darkness and prevail at the hands of evil... and so shall prevail unto freedom and shall prevail unto pain and until the darkest day arises... for that shall be the day all lands will be rid of darkness and evil, the world led into light and the world shall be cleansed of GREY and black..."  
  
There was a silent pause that stretched on.  
  
The Prime Minister sat back with a sigh. "That is the unedited version of the prophecy..."  
  
"Why was it edited to begin with?" Mr Kosaka asked with a scowl.  
  
"So the girl wouldn't know her own destiny... that she will die as a result..." he shook his head. "It's a dear shame but it can't be helped."  
  
"So... what do we do?" the man who was filling in for Kagome's father asked.  
  
"We do nothing."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(A/N: Next chapter - 'Lie down with dogs, get up with fleas'.) 


	13. Lie down with Dogs, get up with Fleas

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone named Inuyasha... except my hamster who I called Inuyasha... how sad is that? Well at least it's better than Hammy, or Houdini or even Nibbles...  
  
(A/N: Don't kill me for not updating! I have a lot on my plate right now and I'm struggling to cope with it all. Anyway, I've finally got another chapter done. This should ease a little angst... or maybe it won't... ^_^;;)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Two Faced:  
  
Lie down with Dogs, get up with Fleas  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kagome had lost track of the time very badly by now. She was hungry, cold and dirty and her biological clock was screwed up. The only thing she could really tell was that it was daylight outside, but just when she'd decided she knew roughly what time it was, they came in, gave her more pills to make her fall asleep and lose track again. It was like when you counted how many pennies you had, and then someone would come and steal one so you had to start all over again.  
  
Occasionally it would be Inuyasha who gave the pills to her, when he gave them to her she would just take it without protest. He would assume she'd swallowed them, but the moment he left she spat them back out and sat on them so no one would know. He was too gentle with her. But gentleness towards the dogs was something else he lacked. He acted like Kagura did when they growled at him.  
  
This resulted in many scratched muzzles.  
  
"HELLO!!" Kagome started to yell again the minute she was awake. "I AM STARVIBNG IN HERE! I HAVEN'T EATEN IN DAYS! GIMME A BREAK!!!!"  
  
The door swung open and Kouga stomped in followed more reluctantly by Inuyasha. The first dark haired boy dropped a raw steak down before her. Kagome and the dogs all stared at it.  
  
"You expect me to eat that?" she asked coldly.  
  
"I expect you to take whatever we give." Kouga crouched down before her and locked glares with her. "A needy bitch like you won't have many more chances, you know."  
  
Inuyasha clenched his fists from where he had folded his arms.  
  
"Funnily enough, I'm not an animal like you. I don't eat RAW meat." She responded angrily.  
  
"Whatever. The ransom money gets dropped off in an hour - as soon as we have it you'll die and that'll be the end of the matter."  
  
Kagome's face fell slightly but Kouga's strong fingers pitched her chin up again, ignoring Inuyasha's agitated shifting in the background. "Don't look so sad, bitch. I swear I'll make it quick and painless... as long as..."  
  
"As long as what?" Kagome asked defiantly.  
  
She suddenly looked down as Kouga's hand started to slide from her knee and then up her outer thigh. She tried to squirm away but his other hand employed at her knees, holding her in place. "Get off me!"  
  
"Don't you like it? I would have thought you'd be used to it by now you little slut."  
  
Kouga didn't know what hit him until a few seconds after he hit the bunker wall, making the whole building shudder. He managed to gather his reeling senses back together and fixed a glare on Inuyasha who stood before Kagome. "What the fuck was that for?!"  
  
"No screwing around with her!" Inuyasha yelled back. "We don't have time for this. The drop off is in less than an hour, knit-wit! We don't need you screwing around with the prisoner."  
  
"Fuck you!"  
  
"Hey - you're the one who's supposed to go collect it Einstein!" Inuyasha advanced on him. "You want to go or do I have to give you a kick start?"  
  
"Why the hell should I go pick it up?!" Kouga snarled.  
  
"Because it could be a trap by her people and you're expendable!" Inuyasha raised a fist to punch him around the head, but Kouga saw it coming and skirted around him.  
  
"I see what's going on here..." Kouga's glare darted from Inuyasha to Kagome, and then back again. "But that doesn't matter. She'll be dead as soon as we get the money."  
  
He swept out the bunker before Inuyasha could make an attempt on his life again and sped off through the trees to the designated drop off point. Inuyasha glanced down at Kagome whose shoulders were silently shaking from where she had her face pressed against her grubby knees.  
  
He had no idea why he felt so bad about this. After all, he was doing the right thing wasn't he?  
  
He just left her to cry on her own, there was no point staying and trying to comfort her since she'd only end up mad at him all over again. Though he wouldn't really blame her if she did.  
  
The moment Inuyasha was gone Kagome lifted her head, her face completely dry and tear free. Inuyasha had fallen for it, and probably wouldn't bother her for a little while... this was perfect.  
  
Kagome started to rub her bondage ropes against the rusty pole just like before and since she'd already been working them loose for many hours before hand, they severed quickly. She put extra effort to cut herself loose since she had a brilliant plan forming in her head.  
  
The moment her hands snapped free she started untying the rope around her ankles and glanced up to see the two huge dogs were watching her warily, and she could hear faint growls emanating from them. Once she was completely untied she took the pills that she'd been sitting on and stuffed them one by one into little holes in the raw meat.  
  
After that she managed to tear the steak in half and looked back up at the dog who had by now, noticed the big red meat in her hands and were starting to lick their chops.  
  
"Here kitty, kitty, kitty..." Kagome leaned forwards and offered them the separate pieces. "Are you hungry?"  
  
They sniffed and shifted to their feet, taking small steps forward. They probably realised they weren't supposed to take food off anyone save for their owners... but they probably hadn't been fed for as long as Kagome.  
  
"Come on..." she jiggled the meat. "Come on Pinkie and Perky... you know you want to..."  
  
They edged closer and closer until they were within reach, before eventually taking the meat and running off back to the door to finish eating it. Kagome just sat back and waited. She half hoped that she didn't kill them with an overdose of sleeping pills, but never mind. After a few minutes of deceptive smiling on Kagome's part, the two lumbering animals finally finished their food, yawned and put their heads down to rest on their forelegs.  
  
Yet they were still awake, and Kagome didn't quite trust them to make her move yet. But she was running out of time. That brute Kouga would be back any minute with the ransom money and then they'd go kill her without hesitation. There was no way they'd set her free like they'd promised in the ransom note.  
  
Images of her face printed across newspapers with headlines like 'she's dead' flashed through her mind. Or more importantly, images of her own death flashed up and she shivered. She didn't intend to die like this. Maybe it would have been better if Inuyasha had succeeded in killing her in the plane crash, she thought bitterly. At least then she'd die with dignity. But not like this... no way...  
  
Kagome rose to her feet cautiously and started towards the door, aiming to pass straight between the two dogs. They were still awake since their eyes were open but they seemed fairly lethargic now. Miraculously they didn't even lift their heads or growl as she passed and she quietly slipped out the door without any hint of warning.  
  
Everything was so quiet. She could hear talking and laughter echoing from the second bunker... so they seemed unaware that she was escaping. That was good!  
  
Carefully scanning the area this time, she picked out the best direction she thought would be a good path. Of course, she had no idea where she was, and no clue which way was south and which way was north. For all she knew she would be heading deeper into the dark forest and into demon terrain... but even then she'd have more chance of survival than by staying there.  
  
Her eyes fell on the backpack that Inuyasha had been carrying a little before she'd been ambushed. It was distinctly empty looking but the two strong poles that he'd been carrying lay alongside it. Well, maybe he hadn't had enough time to teach her how to be a world champion, but she could still use one of those staffs to defend against forest creatures if need be. She quietly tiptoed forward, lifted one and started to tiptoe towards the forest, carryin the pole the same way tightrope walkers carried them.  
  
She half expected someone to come bursting out the second bunker and spot her... but nothing happened and she was beginning to make a clean getaway. It was so simple it had to be criminal...  
  
When she was a good distance away from the two bunkers in the clearing she discovered that she was walking deeper and deeper into the forest and things were only getting darker and denser. So she changed course and started walking towards where the forest became more spaced out, and towards where she thought she could hear the sounds of trickling water.  
  
Suddenly there was a flash of movement off to her right and she ducked behind a tree due to pure reflex. Peeping around she noticed it was Kouga... he was back... and he was empty-handed. She only saw him for a fraction of a moment because he was darting through the trees like a hare on speed.  
  
As soon as she was sure he was gone (whoa... I just got really bad déjà vu...) she allowed herself to stand and carried on along her current trajectory.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"What do you mean it wasn't there?!" Kagura yelled.  
  
"Exactly what I said!" Kouga huffed back. "There was no money and no one had seen anyone suspicious around there! They didn't even have the decency to acknowledge us or set up a trap!"  
  
"The nerve..." Kagura shook her head.  
  
Sesshomaru sighed and looked to Yura. "We've waited long enough, no more wasting time. Go slit the girl's throat."  
  
Yura disappeared out the doorway and Inuyasha fixed a rather stoic gaze on the ground. After a few moments of silent waiting the door-crashed open again to reveal a rather shocked looking Yura. "She's gone!"  
  
"Shit..." Kouga cursed loudly.  
  
"When did she escape?" Kagura demanded.  
  
"Her scent is still fresh," Kouga offered.  
  
"All of you, follow it and bring her back - no wait - just kill her where she stands." Sesshomaru waved them off and they all bolted out the door, Inuyasha a little more hesitant than the rest.  
  
Meanwhile, Sesshomaru had a call to make.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"It's this way!" Kouga sped along the same path Kagome had taken, going deeper into the forest than before.  
  
"Not a very bright girl to march straight north is she?" Kagura remarked darkly as she flew along, crouched on her oversized leaf.  
  
Inuyasha and Yura ran along beside her, all finding it a little difficult to match Kouga's speed.  
  
Suddenly he stopped ahead and turned this way and that. "Dammit..."  
  
"What's the matter, wolfy?" Yura asked as she drew up beside him.  
  
"Her scent's everywhere... I don't know which direction." He grumbled.  
  
Inuyasha snorted and turned in a different direction and started to follow a path towards the lighter part of the forest where the trees began to space out and the sound of a river could be heard. He couldn't be sure that this was where Kagome had come since his nose wasn't quite the same standard as a wolf's. But he knew Kagome wasn't stupid and she'd head for the safest path. "Shows what you know, wolf..."  
  
They all glanced in the direction Inuyasha was going and seemed to shrug and just follow. Kouga growled and followed at a slight distance. He obviously didn't like being showed up by dogs...  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Kagome waded along the river that reached her knees. Her shoes were thoroughly soaked by now but she wasn't taking them off. Those horror stories about leeches and bugs that attacked tender human feet told her not to bed so unwise. Plus the rocks were rather jagged and she didn't want to cut her feet to ribbons either. It was going great... the trees were thinning out and she hadn't seen a single demon for at least an hour. Though she was sad as well...  
  
She still missed her father... was still hurt by Inuyasha's betrayal... the knowledge that he'd been intending to hurt her all along, even during those times he'd been nice and sweet and comforting. He'd been like the pillar she'd finally been allowed to lean back on. She'd never been so close to anyone... and although Sango had come close, she hadn't seen Sango enough to be able to depend on the older girl. She'd had no friends, her father had always been busy and had no time for her. And while her brother, mother and grandpa had always been for her and loved her for just being Kagome... she had been taken away from their care too early on and she didn't feel so close to them anymore. She was a loner... but she didn't want to be a loner...  
  
Then Inuyasha had come on and had been the first person to treat her with disrespect and be able to get away with it. But after you got past that gruff exterior where he simply said anything that was on his mind, you understand that when he said something nice... he really meant it. Or so Kagome, thought... Maybe that had all been a hoax, but the way he'd been careful with her ankle when he'd tied her up had told differently.  
  
Maybe he was sorry for what he'd done... that made Kagome slightly more sympathetic... but he still wasn't helping her out of this mess. So she still hated him for whirling her around like a fool.  
  
Suddenly she heard a shout behind her and her heartbeat suddenly pitched up into a faster pace. Someone was coming up behind her... and fast by the sound of it...  
  
Without really thinking about her decision she splashed out of the river and threw herself behind a tree. She discovered it was hollow and quickly squeezed herself down into the open groove beneath, certainly hidden from view from behind and to the sides. Of course if anyone were in front of her they'd see her at once.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Her scent trail was faint, gliding over the slight breeze that accompanied the river on its path. But then it stopped and just disappeared and they all stood for a few moments looking around and puzzling about what to do.  
  
Inuyasha was the first to spot her, sort of... he stood a little ahead of the others adjacent to a rather ancient looking tree. He could see Kagome's fingers grasping one of the roots so hard her knuckles were going white and by the way he chest was going up and down, she was scared.  
  
"I see her!" he yelled out to the others and pointed up the river. "She's making a getaway!"  
  
Kagome must have heard his voice so close and her fingers disappeared and she crouched even lower to hide herself. The other three demons suddenly shot off in the direction Inuyasha had pointed.  
  
Kagome could hear them coming and waited for them to reach her tree and find her. But strangely enough they all shot past her tree and carried on up the river with fevered speed. She stared with surprise as they all disappeared and started to stand up. But when Inuyasha suddenly appeared before her she squeaked and fell back down. She refused to look up at him... but she had to acknowledge that he'd just saved her life. Now what...? Was he going to follow his usual pattern and betray her by turning her in again?  
  
"You're heading in the wrong direction." I told her evenly and pointed to the right of her tree. "Head south and keep going in a straight line until you hit another river. Follow where the water leads and you should come out of the forest at the same village your father should be housed in."  
  
Kagome glanced up at his deadly serious face. For a moment a little prick of stubbornness commanded her to head in the totally opposite direction just to spite him... but her life depended on this and since she had no other choice... she had to obey.  
  
She slowly pushed herself to her feet, using the tree as leverage and lifted her chin to face him, with a look that clearly let him know that what he was doing was not going to make up in any way for what he had done to her.  
  
"Run... I'll lead them away." He said and noticed she clenched her pole rather tightly.  
  
He wasn't expecting her, however, to suddenly whip the long weapon up and crack him on the jaw. He stumbled back, the hard blow sending a few of his brain cells scattering to disorientate him. "OW! Bitch!"  
  
"Burn in hell!" she yelled over her shoulder as she ran in the direction he'd just pointed out.  
  
"You're welcome..." he called after her. "You ungrateful cow..."  
  
The minute he was sure she was gone he set back off down the river in the direction the others had taken off in. he was going to make sure Kagome made it out of this forest safely.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(Next chapter - 'Forgiveness' Might be what you think it is. Might not ^_^) 


	14. Forgiveness

Disclaimer: don't own Inuyasha or a decent keyboard... bah humbug...  
  
(A/N: I'm gonna keep saying this - my keyboard sucks so you'll have to excuse my speeling and hypos (that was a joke). Plus I broke a nail and I'm getting blood everywhere as I type... yuck... Anyway, you all want waffiness - so the wait is over - and this is a shorter than average chapter just for fluff ^_^)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Two Faced  
  
Forgiveness  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kagome cursed mildly as she tripped over another leaf on the ground. She was down on her luck so far but at least she seemed to be going in the right direction. She'd found the river without too much trouble and had been following it until it had veered off back into the forest, and had instead followed the dirt road that had led out into the open, between meadows of tall grass.  
  
There was light, warm scented breeze that blew in from ahead and she sighed deeply as leaves detached themselves from the odd tree and managed to hit her in the face. She just ignored it since her emotional pain right then was her biggest problem.  
  
She missed her father. She loved him with all her heart... but she was sure he was alive and well. But there had been so many distractions on this mission to find him... the plane had crashed... she'd been kidnapped... Inuyasha had killed all the crew and her only friend, Sango.  
  
Inuyasha... even thinking his name brought a fresh stab of pain in her chest and she had no idea why. She hated him, didn't she? She loathed him and never wanted to see him again!... So why did it hurt every time she thought that she might never see him again. He'd hurt her... but she still... felt something... she couldn't put a name to. It was like yearning... but painful and she knew she missed him. But she'd never admit that aloud to anyone now. So if anyone asked, she hated Inuyasha and hoped he fell in a Volcano.  
  
Yes... that would be a nice end to him...  
  
Kagome stopped suddenly when she reached the peak of the hill she was climbing and looked down at the smooth straight road ahead of her. Trees rose up on either side and from here she could see what could be the village Inuyasha was telling her about in the distance. Further up were rice paddies and more meadows or silvery green grass. But she didn't noticed any of it. More leaves (wet this time) flew up and slapped against her bare legs and arms. She still didn't notice any of it. She just stared off into space using her wooden pole as a support.  
  
He'd said he'd protect her from harm... it was his job and his purpose... and what she thought had been a personal matter as well. She'd thought he'd saved her life when the plane crashed... but he'd only endangered it. Now look where he'd gotten her.  
  
Exactly one week ago she'd been in her hotel room, enjoying proper food, fashion and entertainment on the TV. She'd had all the protection she'd needed from her bodyguards and although she'd been lonely, she'd been safe and loved by her family and Sango.  
  
But in came Inuyasha and within a week she was toiling for her survival. She'd nearly been killed by various creatures/people/objects/vehicles... her only true friend had been murdered... her father probably along with them and she had no way of getting back home as of yet. And Inuyasha had pitied her at the last moment and let her live on in suffering instead of dying. She appreciated it... but he'd just STOOD there while she'd been taunted and bullied.  
  
All that anger and rage at him welled up inside her, along with all the pain she was trying to bottle up. She tried to hold it within her... to tell herself that she didn't need to be feeling this. It wasn't her fault, it was Inuyasha's. she couldn't blame herself... she shouldn't... she'd been duped and had been the one screwed around with. She had to move on and let it go... she couldn't let it get to her otherwise it would eat her up.  
  
But she felt like she was dying... inside.  
  
That horrible feeling seemed to swell just below her ribs and she slowly slipped to the ground, holding her middle tightly and physically trying to stop herself from sobbing. The tears flowed freely... but she couldn't allow herself to sob. To sob would be weak... and she had to have her dignity and show strength in the face of betrayal. She had to save face.  
  
"Screw that..." she choked out and dissolved into sobs - big loud soppy ones that sent the few birds nearby into flight.  
  
So maybe the pain would eat her up if she allowed it to consume her like this... but then maybe it would slowly chew her up on the inside if she didn't let it out. She was so confused! It was in no way her fault! It was all Inuyasha! It had always been Inuyasha. She loved him like the friend she'd always wanted - someone to be close with, to hang around with. Someone that she could trust with anything because he had been paid for it... and because she thought she knew him.  
  
But she'd been wrong...  
  
Slowly she began to realise that she wasn't feeling this pain because she'd been fooled, or because she'd been humiliated and duped. She felt this pain because he had gone and left her... because that safe feeling that she'd felt around him had been false and it had vanished like a puff of smoke, and twice as fragile and hard to contain.  
  
Now that thought just made her plain angry.  
  
With a vicious growl she lunged to her feet and kicked and flayed at the dirt beneath her. "I hate you! I hate you for doing this to me! I thought you were my friend and you betrayed me!"  
  
She picked up her pole and flung it as far and as violently as she could, which was a lot further with her anger fuelled strength. "YOU SAID I COULD TRUST YOU!"  
  
She stood, breathing hard for a moment before she realised she was being foolish and petty... just like Inuyasha had said she was. She slowly sank in on herself and back to her knees, cradling her face in her hands and rocking back and forth. "But I can't..."  
  
She allowed herself to dissolve into sobs again. "I'm such a fool..." she whispered to no one but herself and the breeze... and to something else... some other presence.  
  
She lifted her head slowly, trying to locate what the source of this strange feeling was. It made her spine shiver slightly, but she'd never felt anything like this. At times like this her mother would normally suggest that someone had just walked over her grave. Kagome had always thought that a stupid saying since she wasn't dead yet.  
  
A hand touched her shoulder and instantaneously she knocked it away and staggered to her feet to face him. Her breathing had just pitched faster and those homicidal urges just begged to be acted upon. She just gave him a glare that would scorch even the devil.  
  
Inuyasha stood, looking fairly neutral with his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jacket and with his kendo sword strapped to his back with a sash that went from his shoulder to his side. Kagome waited for him to make his move. To unsheathe that sword and do what he'd been wanting to do from the very start.  
  
He didn't say anything, and she couldn't tell what he was thinking either. Finally, unable to take it anymore she snapped. "Did you want something?" she growled.  
  
He sighed and shifted. "I'm confused."  
  
That's it? He was just 'confused'? He wasn't nearly as half confused as she was. "Confused people take left turns when they should have gone right, Inuyasha!" she snapped at him. "They don't try and kill someone and then murder even more people!!"  
  
Inuyasha quickly glanced over his shoulder, his ears pricked for sounds beyond the forest behind them. Then he finally turned back to her. "I didn't kill anyone."  
  
"Bull!"  
  
"I didn't!"  
  
"What about Kenji?!" Kagome yelled. "Tell him that!"  
  
"He was killed by the demon that attacked - not me! The other's made it out alright!" he defended himself.  
  
"They're alive?" Kagome asked quickly.  
  
"Possibly..."  
  
Unsatisfied with her answer she shook her head and turned away from him. "Excuses... just excuses..." she quickly turned to face him suspiciously, like maybe she didn't trust him enough to turn her back on him just yet.  
  
"I didn't kill them... I had a choice to save either you... or help them..." Inuyasha sighed. "I chose you."  
  
Kagome stared at him. "So you saved my life... again?"  
  
He nodded quickly. "And all those times... was Yura making it all up? About the plane crash and the sniper thing?"  
  
Inuyasha was fed up of lying to her. He dropped his head and she got her answer.  
  
"You, lying, cheating ASSHOLE!" her voice raised in volume and she lunged at him.  
  
He didn't know what she expected to achieve by attacking him but she didn't get what she wanted. He easily knocked her blows away from him and pushed at her kicks, he had to resist the temptation to just push his hand against her head and hold her at arms length... but he knew that would just get her more angry.  
  
"I hate you!" Kagome screamed, tears flying down her cheeks as she furiously tried to scratch or kick him. "I HATE you!"  
  
"Kagome - stop it!" he snapped but she suddenly had a burst of courage and strength and pushed his blocking hands aside landed a lard punch to the face. His head snapped back and was about to repay her for that when her nails lashed out and streaked red lines across his open cheek. But she wasn't sorry.  
  
Inuyasha had been taken by surprise, and had underestimated how angry she was. But now he was liberally having to push her away every time she got close. "You're wild - stop it!"  
  
"Fight me!" she yelled, grazing his ear. "Kill me! Kill me like you want to!"  
  
"I don't want to kill you!" he snarled. "But I'll kick your ass from here to China - you know that!"  
  
"Fight-" she kneed him in the groin. "-Me!"  
  
Inuyasha gasped and sank to his knees.  
  
"Not so tough now, eh?!" Kagome spat at her human punch bag that she was relieving her anger on. She made to attack his back when suddenly he snapped back to his feet, grabbed her arm and spun her around so fast she saw stars. She stopped suddenly when he tugged her back, hard against his chest so that she was trapped with her back against him. He clamped her arms over her chest and held them there and spoke right into her ear.  
  
"I DON'T want to kill you, understand?" he gave her a hard shake.  
  
"Let go of me! Don't TOUCH me!" she screamed and yelled.  
  
He clamped a hand over her mouth. "You're going to calm down and we are going to discuss this like adults! I know I betrayed you... I was wrong... I know I was wrong to do that... and I'm sorry... I hope you can forgive me- "  
  
This only roused fresh screams from her, which were thankfully muffled by his hand.  
  
"Shut up, Kagome! You're acting like a spoiled princess!" he snapped into her ear and she stilled somewhat. "I didn't kill your friends... I've never killed anyone in my life... the only person I tried to kill was you and I don't want to do that anymore - I know you now! I know I was wrong to even hurt you!"  
  
She was shaking in his arms... couldn't she breathe? Was something wrong? Was she having a seizure? He let go of her quickly and stepped back in case he was responsible.  
  
Kagome whirled on him, sobbing her endless supply of tears, but she was still livid with anger. She growled as she threw herself at him and punched his face hard, ignoring the pain in her knuckles for doing so. It was like hitting a brick wall and she was close to breaking her hand doing it... but it felt good. But this time he was making no move to stop her. She growled again and threw another punch at his face before thumping him in the stomach. He didn't double over, or cry out. He just let her do it. For some reason this didn't make her any happier.  
  
"Fight back!"  
  
"No!"  
  
"I'll kill you if I have to!" she spat and slapped his ear, one of the most painful things she could do. He winced and held his arms out to the side.  
  
"I won't fight you!"  
  
"Because I'm weak! Because I'm frail!" she pounded into his chest angrily with each sentence. "Because I'm HUMAN!"  
  
"Yes!" He snapped back.  
  
"Fight me!" The anger was dissipating again, she couldn't hold onto it. "Fight me... I hate you... just do it!"  
  
Her attitude was changing so he just silently stood and let her do what she wanted with a slight worried frown on his face. She pushed him and sobbed at the same time. "Fight me! Please!"  
  
He grabbed her wrists to stop her pounding against his chest. She wasn't even trying anymore. Vaguely she tried to pull away from his grip but she was too broken to really put any effort behind it. "Please... just hate me... I hate you... just kill me..."  
  
"Kagome..." he started softly.  
  
Her brief, weak struggles only seemed to succeed in pulling her closer to him until she could rest her forehead against his collar bone. She cried and pulled at his grip. He released her at last but she had no intention of moving, she just grabbed bunches of his shirt and held on for dear life.  
  
Slowly, feeling a little bewildered he placed his arms around her small frame, cradling her, but not really crushing her to him like he wanted to. He wanted to apologise, make her see that he hated himself for what he'd just put her through... but she wouldn't accept that. It was too late for apologies.  
  
Kagome was collapsing again, and since his hold on her wasn't very strong he had to slide onto his knees to keep up with her. She just slumped between his legs and pressed her hot face against his shirt as the sobs continued to wrack her frame. After a while her hands left his shirt and clamped around him to hold him tightly around his chest, he felt indebted to return the favour and squeezed her tightly to him.  
  
He closed his eyes and frowned as he lowered his chin to rest on the top of her head. he caught the slight whiff of her scented hair and couldn't stop himself from turning his head to press his cheek against her hair and take in the smell. It was enough to ease his subconscious mind that she was here, with him, where she was safe and as long as it stayed that way he could prove to her in time that he would... he would... he would what?  
  
"I'll be there for you..." he whispered almost without realising and lightly pressed his lips against the dusty strands of her hair.  
  
Kagome's body shook with harder sobs. "Don't leave me! Please!"  
  
"I won't!" he said quickly and hugged her tighter. "I'm sorry! You can slap me and punch me as much as you like - I deserve it."  
  
Kagome pulled back slightly, her face flushed a heavy red from crying so much. "I accept your apology..."  
  
His heart literally leapt up into his throat.  
  
"But... while I can forgive you... I can't forget what you've done..." she shook her head and fresh tears spilled down her raw cheeks. "I don't think I can trust you anymore..."  
  
That statement bit down and hurt more than any of her punches or kicks... except maybe for that one in the family jewels. He closed his eyes and Kagome's chin wobbled. "But don't leave me again... please..."  
  
They both fell against each other again, simultaneously and Inuyasha was struggling to hold it together. "I'm sorry... I swear I won't let you down again..."  
  
"I can't believe that..."  
  
"I swear it!" he said fiercely, holding her tighter.  
  
He sounded like he meant it... and she really believed him. But she couldn't bring herself to trust him completely... never again...  
  
"I'm sorry..." she whispered against his shoulder.  
  
He exhaled shakily and kissed her hair again. "I forgive you... I don't blame you..."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(A/N:... next chap... 'Reunited'... I can't really bring myself to say anything constructive after writing that... sorry...) 


	15. Reunited

Disclaimer: I have temporary amnesia, so I forgot what to write here... something to do with Inuyasha though... hmm...  
  
(A/N: Wow, the response to the last chapter was quite amazing... I don't think I've ever got so many reviews for just one chapter - so thank you to all who reviewed! I like reviews ^_^!!! You can write as many as you want, I wouldn't really mind ^_^. So, on with the story... and you might be interested to know the title of the next chapter... that's at the bottom of the page @_@)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Two Faced:  
  
Reunited  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Inuyasha and Kagome walked side by side at a fairly leisurely pace. Every now and then one or the other would sneak peeks at each other, but never at the same time. It wasn't a comfortable silence in any way. The tension was so thick the air seemed solid between them. Kagome's fingers kept fidgeting with the edges of her torn shirt hem as she took another peek at a rather expressionless Inuyasha.  
  
"Say something." She said wearily after a while.  
  
Inuyasha sighed and cocked his head the other way. "Like what?"  
  
"I don't know... talk about the weather for all I care... just start a conversation..." she mumbled.  
  
"Somehow most of our conversations always start with you saying 'say something'." He remarked dryly."  
  
"Because it's the only way to get you to talk." She shot him a look. "See, we're having a conversation right now."  
  
Inuyasha didn't say anything to this and they lapsed into silence again. Kagome just rolled her eyes and turned her head away. If he was going to be immature about this then fine. "Look's like it's going to rain soon, eh?" she commented absently.  
  
"Yeah... look at all those black clouds over there." Inuyasha agreed.  
  
"You know... I heard a little while ago that the coast should be getting some frequent tidal waves this year."  
  
"Really?" Inuyasha tried to feign interest.  
  
Kagome sighed and gave up. There was no use forcing this issue... they'd just get used to each other again in time. But for now she wasn't going to speed up and walk ahead, that would leave her back open to him and she still didn't really trust him with her back. Sense told her that if he wanted to kill her then he would have easily have done that by now... but some deeper instinct told her to never close her eyes to him because of what he'd done behind her back in the past.  
  
Hopefully she would get over that feeling in a while.  
  
Inuyasha glanced at Kagome and noticed she had a rather distant expression. He realised this was a moment to say something profound and meaningful that would win back her trust... but nothing really came to mind. The best thing he'd managed to come up with was a lame 'I'm sorry'. But strangely enough it summed up all he felt towards her. He was sorry.  
  
Inuyasha opened his mouth to speak when he suddenly caught sight of something ahead and he changed what he was about to say. "Oh my god..."  
  
Kagome glanced at him and then noticed his gaze... she followed it and stopped. "Oh no..."  
  
Inuyasha broke into a run, heading straight for funnels of dark smoke that were spiralling into the air from the village down the road. Kagome followed him but at a slower pace. She had this sinking feeling that somehow she wasn't going to find what she wanted in this village.  
  
They reached the already broken down gates and passed straight through into the primitive like village of wooden structures. Half of all those structures were on fire, and the rest were either smouldering piles of ash or just rubble. There were one or two left standing but there wasn't much else to suggest anything else had survived.  
  
But the damage looked fresh, though there was no sign of any attackers or villagers amongst the ash clogged air.  
  
Kagome pressed a hand over her mouth and nose in an effort to avoid breathing in the ash. "This is awful... who'd do a thing like this...?"  
  
"Who do you think?" Inuyasha snapped harshly. They were at the edge of a demon infested forest in the middle of demon infested country. Who else could do such a thing?  
  
Kagome looked around and a shiver went up her spine. That feeling that someone had just walked over her grave was back, and it definitely wasn't due to cold shivers since the air in that village was like a furnace. She decided to put it down to the creeps...  
  
Inuyasha sighed and looked around. There was little chance Kagome's father was hanging around him... alive...  
  
A soft groan from a pile of building rubble nearby caught his attention and he waved to Kagome to get her attention. "Over here!"  
  
Inuyasha quickly shoved most of the rubble out of the way to find the source of the groan, and quickly discovered that it had sounded from the young man trapped beneath. Kagome quickly flitted forward upon seeing the survivor and quickly brushed the remaining rubbish out of the way. "Are you ok? Are you hurt?"  
  
The man couldn't answer since he was busy groaning in pain. They could both however see that a large wooden timbre rafter was pinning him down to the ground. That thing looked especially heavy and difficult to lift. "It'll be ok... hold on..." Kagome fought another shiver that trailed up her spine.  
  
"I'll get it." Inuyasha said quickly and took a step forward. No sooner had he done that he was knocked flying through the air to land amidst the rubble with a cry of pain. Kagome spun at once to see who had thrown him... and slowly her gaze trailed upwards... and upwards until she was craning her neck. "Oh god..."  
  
"Kagome duck!" Inuyasha yelled behind her, but she was frozen in complete and utter fear. Her mouth opened, but no words came out, and she was so scared her knees had locked and hadn't even bothered to get to the buckling stage.  
  
The huge centipede monster just loomed over her, weaving slightly from side to side and staring at her as if entranced. Everything inside her screamed that she run... but part of her ordered her not to abandon the poor man she was shielding from view.  
  
Without warning something slammed into her from behind and she screamed as she was crushed to the ground. It took her a moment to realise it was Inuyasha, and he'd just saved her from getting chopped in half by one of those blade like pincer legs of the demon.  
  
"You ditz! I told you to duck!" he yelled, all but heaving her up and throwing her to the side, all ready to fight the demon hand to hand if he needed to.  
  
Unfortunately the demon wasn't interested in the little hanyou since it's sights were set purely on Kagome as it lumbered around to track her movements. Kagome gasped and quickly backed away. Looking around she quickly realised that THIS had been the demon responsible for this damage. And the chances that her father was lying under the rubble somewhere... she snapped her glare back on the enormous demon, which had to be twice the size of the last one she'd seen. "You MONSTER!!"  
  
"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled angrily. "NOT the TIME!"  
  
"YOU DID THIS!!" Kagome yelled angrily.  
  
The demon didn't seem to hear her, or probably didn't really understand, and started towards her again, shuffling along a metre at a time. Kagome shrieked and broke into a run.  
  
Inuyasha cursed and looked back at the lone survivor. He couldn't leave him much longer or he'd suffocate... so he quickly grabbed the timbre, heaved it off him in a massive force of effort and turned back around. "Hey! WEEDY!"  
  
The demon ignored him and continued to follow Kagome. Inuyasha snarled and heaved the timbre back past his shoulders, before throwing it forward with a yell. The rafter hit the demon on the back of the body and clattered to the ground. Slowly the dim-witted monster turned and stared back at Inuyasha with its blank black eyes. To that thing, the impact must have felt like a twig falling on its head.  
  
But Inuyasha had got its attention now.  
  
Suddenly Kagome was no longer interesting and the demon started to shuffle back towards Inuyasha. The villager behind him was having difficulty getting to his feet, and so Inuyasha had to lead it away. He saw his chance a short distance away and broke into a run towards the last few houses that remained standing. He hurled himself onto the roof with two bounds and looked back. He was about to smirk - before he realised the demon intended to body slam the building.  
  
Thinking fast he quickly scrambled to the next building and saw Kagome standing below him. "Would you just stand back and let me handle this?!"  
  
"Look out!" she yelled and pointed behind him.  
  
Unfortunately he'd been too slow and suddenly he looked down to find a leg protruding from his chest.  
  
Kagome was frozen in horror below and couldn't bear to look. "Inuyasha!"  
  
Inuyasha yelled out as he was then lifted clean into the air by the leg that skewered him, he had to hold on for dear life but he couldn't breath and kept spluttering blood from his mouth.  
  
"NO!" Kagome looked around for some kind of weapon and spotted Inuyasha's kendo sword lying on the ground beside the injured survivor. She quickly all but flew to grab it before turning back to the excessively large demon. How the hell was she supposed to use it? It wasn't like she could run him through since even wooden timbre couldn't dent that tough scaly hide.  
  
But hearing Inuyasha cry out in pain again as he dangled helplessly... and to see the trickle of blood running down his chin was enough to set her mind. She didn't care.  
  
"Leave him ALONE!" Kagome ran forward, tearing off the scabbard as she ran. She barely noticed the way the hilt seemed to heat in her hand as she ran forward.  
  
The demon paid her no heed... until she rammed the blade into its body.  
  
It screeched in pain as a flash of light was set off... Inuyasha slipped off the leg and fell the whole eleven metres to the ground where he landed with a dull thud. Kagome didn't notice. She let go of the sword and grabbed a splintered plank of wood, half blind in anger while it was the fear that drove her on now.  
  
"You won't hurt him!" she screamed and hurled the splinter as hard as she could at the demon. It occurred to her that she wouldn't make any impact on it... but when the splinter pierced the skin the explosion it caused literally threw her backwards and off her feet.  
  
The rush of air around her whipped her hair around and she curled herself up into a tight ball on the ground to protect herself. It was several seconds before the light, sound and wind died down... and only then did she dare herself a peek. And she screamed.  
  
Black demon insides were sprayed here and there and what was left of the lower half of the demon was still standing. And as she stared with hitching breath, it slowly wavered in the air before crashing to the ground, the sword still embedded in its hide.  
  
"Oh my god... oh my god... oh my god..." she chanted again and again. She felt sick and weak... and she couldn't believe what she'd just done. "Oh my god - Inuyasha - did you see - Inuyasha!"  
  
She scrambled over to him where he still lay on his stomach, with a slowly spreading blood stain on the dry ground. "Oh no... Inuyasha..." she grabbed the back of his jacket and shook him gently. When he didn't respond she shook him harder. "Don't leave me - you said you wouldn't - wake up!"  
  
He groaned and twisted away from her reach. "Leave me alone... I've just been run-through... have some respect."  
  
Kagome couldn't care less about respect and roughly grabbed his shoulder and pushed him onto his back to see his face. She didn't like the blood trickle from the mouth, or the gash above his temple which had spilled thick fresh blood down his cheek. "Crap..." she touched his head gently. "Does it hurt?"  
  
"The parts that bleed do, yes." He batted her hand away sharply and attempted to sit up.  
  
Kagome just stared at him. "How can you do that?!"  
  
"Do what?"  
  
"You were skewered and you just sit up and... and..." she frowned suspiciously suddenly. "Did you bump your head...?"  
  
"It's ok..." he pointed back to the other survivor who was sat in what could be an open eyed coma for the amount of movement he had. "Go see to him."  
  
Kagome only hesitated a moment before quickly running towards the other survivor. "Hey, you ok?"  
  
"Thank you... thank you... you saved my life... thank you..." he repeated over again.  
  
Kagome's head swam a little and she had to sit down for a moment. "Are you ok...?"  
  
"Yes... much better... thank you... thank you..." he nodded quickly.  
  
Kagome sucked in a breath to calm her churning stomach. "D-do you... Have you seen a man around here...? His name is Higurashi... he's my father..."  
  
The villager shook his head. "If he was here then he would have evacuated with everyone else to the village down that road and to the further south..."  
  
Kagome frowned. "If everyone evacuated, why are you still here?"  
  
"I was to kill the demon, I'm a demon exterminator." He drew himself up. "Can't you tell?"  
  
Kagome stared at him before gingerly patting his shoulder. "Good job...great job..."  
  
"Kagome..." she looked around to see Inuyasha had managed to get to his feet and was busy trying to tug his sword free. "In future... get straight to the blasting... and no messing around with my sword..." he tugged it free and landed with a grunt on his behind. "...ok?"  
  
Kagome shook her head. "You shouldn't be walking around."  
  
"What did you have, a grenade in your pocket or something?" he frowned at her.  
  
He hadn't seen what had happened... and truth was... she didn't really understand it. But she knew the prophesy was coming true day by day... "Yeah... something like that..."  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"Are you ok...?"  
  
"Yeah...  
  
"Are you ok now?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"Because if you're not then we can stop." Kagome watched him like a hawk. "Are you ok?"  
  
"No! I've been run through - by chest is fill with blood - my sword is covered in blood - my throat is covered in blood and I have BLOOD all over my shirt and jacket!" he snapped.  
  
"Well..." Kagome shifted uncomfortably, stopping their walk. "Why didn't you say so?"  
  
"Do you have any idea how hard it is to wash blood out of a shirt?!" he growled. Tugging at his dark green tank top under his rather badly stained brown jacket.  
  
"Not really..." she shrugged lightly.  
  
"It's hard, ok?" he snapped and leaned back against a tree that was at hand. He winced as he did so. "I'm not ok... ok?"  
  
"Ok..." she nodded and twiddled her fingers together. "So... are we ok, to get moving again?"  
  
He rolled his eyes and stood straight again, using his sword as a crutch. Kagome frowned slightly and stepped forward. "You can lean on me, if you want."  
  
"No thanks." He said bluntly.  
  
Kagome took a deep breath and tried again. She was still rattled from her last experience. "Ok... then let me say this another way... can I lean on you?"  
  
He stared at her a moment before quickly remembering to roll his eyes and look away. "Fine." He outstretched his arm to allow her wrap her own arm around his back and help support his weight. She sighed with relief. He was still strong for her even when he was so badly injured. She had to stop herself from leaning into him, knowing she'd only cause more pain.  
  
They carried on walking slowly along the muddy path for quite a while in a more comfortable quiet than usual. After a moment Kagome summed up her courage. "You know... back when I killed that demon... I didn't use a grenade..."  
  
"A flame thrower?" he guessed half-heartedly.  
  
"No...  
  
"Missile launcher?"  
  
"That would be in my other pocket." She said dryly.  
  
"Then what?" he glanced down at her.  
  
"I don't know how I did it... but I think its those powers that the prophesy said I would have. You know... not entirely human... but not really demon."  
  
Inuyasha stopped short. "What? You mean you're half demon?"  
  
"No... I just... have weird powers..." she shrugged helplessly. "But I didn't realise I was doing it... and now I regret it because I feel really sick..."  
  
"Well... I'm glad you did, you saved my life." He said evenly.  
  
Kagome smiled thinly. "You owe me BIG for this, you know."  
  
"So you care about me?" he said in what he hoped was a casual tone.  
  
Kagome stiffened and began walking them again. "A little... I wouldn't have just sat back and let that thing kill you and..."  
  
She trailed off as she stopped dead and stared straight up the path they were travelling. Inuyasha followed her gaze and suddenly grinned. "Told you so..."  
  
Miroku and Sango were both walking along the path and had stopped dead wearing the perfect mirror expressions. "Kagome!" Sango shouted.  
  
"Sango!" Kagome suddenly dropped Inuyasha and ran straight towards her friend. They caught each other in an embrace and cried out happily. "Oh my god - I was so worried! Where have you been?!"  
  
"Looking for you two!" Sango cried in return, setting Kagome back down. "We thought you were goners on your own!"  
  
Kagome turned to Miroku who suddenly held out his arms, expecting the same treatment as Sango. But feeling in high spirits Kagome just stood on tiptoe and pecked him on the cheek. "I'm glad to see you in one piece."  
  
Miroku smiled at her. "Don't I get a hug?"  
  
"Maybe next time I think you're dead." Kagome grinned back.  
  
Miroku shrugged and held his arms out to Inuyasha instead. "Come on tough guy, how 'bout one for old time's sake?"  
  
"Urgh..." Inuyasha remarked from his position on the floor.  
  
Sango and Miroku both winced at his wounds. "You ok, over there?"  
  
"I'll live..." he sighed before adding. "Barely."  
  
"I see you've been doing your job protecting Kagome, eh, Inuyasha?" Sango smiled.  
  
This comment, for some reason, elicited a long pregnant pause from both Kagome and Inuyasha. Kagome was blushing and Inuyasha was squinting at the sky, doing his best to ignore the pain and the topic of conversation. Both Sango and Miroku traded looks that let each other know they were thinking the same thing. Something had happened between the two of them... something either good or bad... they were either closer... or further apart. But they didn't know which.  
  
"So!" Miroku clapped his hands. "Most of the group is back at the village that way. The rest are either missing... or on the look out for your father, Kagome."  
  
"We heard about Kenji." Kagome said slowly.  
  
"Yeah, he got separated. We thought he was with you guys." Sango said with a frown.  
  
Kagome winced. "The demon killed Kenji..."  
  
Sango's mouth dropped. "He killed Kenji?!"  
  
"That bastard..." Miroku scowled deeply before sighing. "Well... I guess there's nothing to help him now."  
  
"We should get you two back to the village and treat your wounds, both of you." Sango eyed Kagome's shredded skirt. "And get you some new clothes."  
  
Miroku looked between the jagged tear in Kagome's skirt and then Inuyasha's claws... then he looked at the four streaked tear across the front of Kagome's shirt and then Inuyasha's claws. Revelation hit him at once and he nudged Sango at once the moment Kagome turned her back to go help Inuyasha out.  
  
"I think our little pair of bickering magpies turned themselves into love birds." He whispered quietly.  
  
Sango stared, completely confused for a moment before he mouth dropped open again and her eyes widened. "Whoa... I don't believe that..."  
  
"We'll see." Miroku smirked. "Bet you a hundred yen that he shredded more than her skirt while we've been gone."  
  
"Miroku!" she elbowed him hard before thinking. "I'll take that bet. There is no way Kagome is that easy..."  
  
"Who said it was easy?" Miroku turned his smirk on her triumphantly as they both saw Inuyasha's hand brush against Kagome's thigh as she helped him up. Neither of them seemed to notice the brief contact, and it wasn't long before they were both up and moving again.  
  
Kagome smiled when she reached them. "Lead the way then."  
  
Sango and Miroku exchanged wary glances before turning and heading back.  
  
Kagome may have smiled but she was the epitome of anxiousness. She had no idea if her father was alive and well... since so many people had led her on a wild goose chase. Maybe now she was getting somewhere. She was just glad that Sango was alive... Inuyasha hadn't killed anyone after all.  
  
"You ok?" she asked, giving him a gentle, comforting squeeze.  
  
"Ask that again and I won't be held responsible for my actions." He said menacingly.  
  
Kagome just rolled her eyes and smiled. He had a right to be crabby, what with how badly he was injured. She was just glad everyone was safe.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(A/N: Hmmm... well... next chapter - 'Sex and Soap operas' ¬_¬';;; Think whatever you want...) 


	16. Sex and Soap Operas

Disclaimer: Do I own Inuyasha? Um... yeeeees...  
  
(A/N: I keep cracking up at this title, I don't know about you. My mum looked over my shoulder as I wrote it and gave me this weird look and has been avoiding me ever since. @_@;; Anyway, you're probably all eager to see what it's about so I'll get to it.)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Two Faced  
  
Sex and Soap Operas (I'm cracking up!)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The rest of the group was staying in a nearby village in one of the spacious inns. Apparently it was one of the only inns in the Southern territory that made its own ice cream and had satellite television... so no wonder they'd decided to lodge there.  
  
The rest of the team consisted of Shippo, Hojo, Rin, Kikyo... the other airmen and marines that had been working with them had set off to search for Mr Higurashi while the others had stayed behind to continue looking for lost team members like Inuyasha and Kagome.  
  
"So tell us again what happened?" Kikyo asked, watching the pair across the room very closely.  
  
"Well..." Kagome tried to set the story straight. "Inuyasha dropped me off in the forest where I would be out of trouble - and then went back to help you guys out fighting off that big, fat smelling demon thing."  
  
"We led it away from the camp so it wouldn't cause any more damage." Miroku nodded.  
  
"Or more like it chased you and you ran in sheer panic." Inuyasha slanted him a look.  
  
"Well... Inuyasha came back and said that Kenji had been killed and he couldn't follow the others so we started off in search of my father first."  
  
"Really... and nothing else happened?" Kikyo frowned lightly.  
  
"Well... we got attacked in one of the villages." Kagome glanced briefly at Inuyasha to gouge his reaction. "But very little else happened other than that."  
  
"I see." Sango was giving Miroku a triumphant nudge in the ribs.  
  
He leaned over and whispered in her ear. "As if they'd tell us that they'd been up to something."  
  
Sango just scowled and looked away, before noticing that Inuyasha was giving them a strange look. "You ok, over there?"  
  
He was about to answer when Shippo shushed them. "Would you keep it down? The plot is hard enough to follow as it is!"  
  
Everyone turned back to the Mexican soap that was being shown on the minute television screen by the wall. For a moment they all stared in a stupor before Inuyasha snapped out of it and tapped Kagome's shoulder. "I think they're on to us."  
  
"What?" she whispered back.  
  
"I think they know something bad happened between us..." Inuyasha breathed. "Those two have been whispering all morning since we got back last night."  
  
"Well..." Kagome sighed slightly with defeat. "Is it that obvious?"  
  
"Probably." He sighed as well.  
  
They sat staring at the screen along with everyone else for a moment before an idea suddenly hit Inuyasha. "I know what'll make this all better - why don't we have-"  
  
He suddenly stopped himself from speaking too loud and whispered the last word in her ear. Kagome pulled back quickly and stared at him. "We can't do that!"  
  
"Something wrong?" Miroku was quick to notice the disturbance across the room.  
  
Inuyasha and Kagome quickly shook their heads before turning back to each other. "Well?"  
  
"I'm not sure about that... what about the others?" Kagome whispered.  
  
"What's the worst that could happen?"  
  
"I could name a few things..." Kagome sighed, but this time in acceptance.  
  
Inuyasha quickly pulled her to her feet and they both began backing out the room. "We have to... er... go take a stroll around the block..." Inuyasha made up.  
  
"And then... go help the innkeeper take down her washing." Kagome nodded before they both bolted out the room.  
  
For a moment everyone stared at their absence calmly before Miroku cracked his knuckles and leant back against the wall. "I think I win this bet today."  
  
"No way!" Rin shook her head. "They've probably just gone to the buffet without us downstairs."  
  
"Get with it girl, they're probably up on the roof doing it this very minute." Shippo snorted.  
  
"I say we raise the stakes a little." Miroku offered. "TWO thousand yen say that Inuyasha and Kagome are doing some hanky-panky."  
  
"You're all fools." Kikyo shook her head. "They aren't doing anything."  
  
"Which is why you're going to loose this bet, Kikyo." Hojo told her with a smug grin.  
  
"We'll see." She replied snippily.  
  
They all went back to watching the Mexican soap, half squinting at the subtitles and half just staring at it because there was nothing much else to do while the rest of the team were off searching for Mr Higurashi and his crew.  
  
Suddenly there was a load slam of a door in the next room, followed by muffled giggles... from two rather familiar voices. At once all interest was lost in the soap as the members in that room all looked at one another in speculation.  
  
"This has to be illegal..." they heard Kagome say in a desperately hushed voice.  
  
"Relax, it's only illegal if we get caught." Inuyasha replied.  
  
Sango's mouth dropped. "Oh... my... god..."  
  
"On the bed?" Kagome could be heard asking.  
  
"No - better not get anything sticky on the sheets - then they'd know."  
  
"Oh..."  
  
"On the floor!"  
  
"But that's dirty down there!"  
  
"You know like it down there really, bitch."  
  
Shippo had had to cram a fist into his mouth to keep from laughing while Kikyo just glared rather stoically ahead at nothing. Rin had flushed a very bright pink and Sango was past pink and utterly red. Miroku just had a stupid grin on his face.  
  
"Take it off - quick!" Inuyasha said hurriedly.  
  
Sounds of shuffling on the floor could be heard through the literally paper thin walls and then Kagome's sound of cooing appreciation.  
  
"That looks really... different..."  
  
"What?! It's not different... it's one of a kind, ok?"  
  
"Look... Inuyasha, I'm not sure about this..."  
  
"It tastes great, I swear!"  
  
"Well..."  
  
"Go on... don't fight it... just give in to temptation, ok?"  
  
"But..."  
  
"Just put it in your mouth."  
  
The following sounds were enough to confirm everyone's suspicions.  
  
Sango started having a coughing fit while Miroku was already going around the room collecting the money from the girls and sharing it out to the boys. "Never mess with the master of romance, ladies."  
  
In the other room Inuyasha's ears pricked up. "Did you hear that?"  
  
"Hear what?" Kagome asked around her mouth full of home made ice cream.  
  
"I wonder how thick these walls are." Inuyasha said quietly.  
  
"Who cares - do you want some of this?" Kagome held out the tub to him.  
  
He took her spoon and groaned as the zesty lemon ice cream melted in his mouth. Kagome suppressed her laughter. "You know licking the same spoon as me is practically a kiss."  
  
"Hm? - urgh!" he dropped it suddenly and eyed it as if it were something evil.  
  
"Oh now look what you've done - it's all dirty now!" Kagome gasped.  
  
"It was dirty before I dropped it."  
  
"You really know how to sweet talk the ladies don't you?"  
  
"Well... now what do we use to eat this stuff?"  
  
"Our fingers?"  
  
"Together? I am NOT eating ice cream with my fingers with you - that is SO unhygienic!" Inuyasha said rather loudly.  
  
There was a clap as if something had fallen on the floor in the next room and Sango could be heard crowing. "I KNEW it! They aren't having sex!"  
  
Both Inuyasha and Kagome froze together and stared at each other a moment before bursting out into fits of laughter that they had to try very hard to suppress. Kagome had to clamp a hand over her mouth as tears of mirth rose in her eyes, she couldn't believe what she'd just heard!  
  
Inuyasha suddenly got another 'brilliant' idea and leaned over to whisper something else in her ear. At this Kagome broke down into more silent laughter, pressing her face into her hands to try and maintain control.  
  
Everyone in the other room, however, were now all lined up against the wall and listening as hard as they could. "It's all gone very quiet..." Shippo commented.  
  
"Well done, Sango, I think you just gave us away." Miroku muttered.  
  
Kikyo, the only one who hadn't lowered herself to their level stood up and shook her head in disgust. "This is ridiculous." She said quietly and left the room and the others to their bet.  
  
"What do you think they're up to now?" Rin asked quietly.  
  
Suddenly moaning and bed squeaking rose up in the other room and simultaneously they all scooted back several feet.  
  
"They could be doing..." Sango scrambled for an idea. "Aerobics?"  
  
"Yeah, if they're doing aerobics, then I'm a woman." Miroku held out his hand. "Pay up girls."  
  
Sango scoffed and pushed his hand down. "How can you be sure they're actually-"  
  
"Oh! Inuyasha!" the squeaking grew louder. "Don't stop!"  
  
"Oh Kagome!"  
  
"Oh Inuyasha!"  
  
"Oh - buffet downstairs!" Sango grabbed Rin, Hojo and Shippo and started to haul them out of the room. Glancing over her shoulder she saw that Miroku and leaned closer. She growled, stomped over, grabbed his ear and stomped out with him in tow. "I think you've proved your point!"  
  
Inuyasha pressed his ear against the wall and grinned. "They ran away."  
  
Kagome finally stopped bouncing up and down on the bed and succumbed to the fits of laughter. "Oh god - I can't believe they bought it!"  
  
"At least now they'll think twice about us fighting." Inuyasha was shaking his head and banging the head board with his fist. "They'll never be able to look at us again!"  
  
Kagome cracked up again and fell against his shoulder. "I'll probably have to explain to Sango... b-but Miroku can stay 'enlightened'!"  
  
Inuyasha's laughter began to die as Kagome shook against his shoulder. He noticed suddenly that she was laughing with him for the first time in ages... that made him feel a lot better. He turned his head to her, opening his mouth to say something, but his voice also died as Kagome chose that exact moment to grin up at him.  
  
Their noses touched and all smiles died as the moment suddenly changed tone from light hearted humour to tension... of a less volatile sort. Kagome's eyes locked with Inuyasha's as the smiled melted from her lips and she look at his own to see that his smile had slipped too. Suddenly she found it very hard to look away from those lips... full... smooth... and moving closer to hers... except she was the one who was moving, not him.  
  
Kagome tilted towards him, and for a moment he thought she was falling and leaned back, but her eyes slid closed as her lips brushed against his. For some reason he didn't feel overly shocked and didn't exactly want to pull away either. He closed his own eyes and turned his head slightly to press against her lips more fully. Kagome's hand reached up to cradle the line of his jaw, the same moment his lips parted.  
  
An electrical jolt that was more pleasurable than painful hit them both, but only Kagome was stricken awake by it. She stiffened suddenly and her eyes suddenly crept open. Inuyasha hadn't noticed her sudden reluctance and kept on kissing her... but she couldn't take it anymore and pulled away sharply.  
  
Inuyasha blinked back into awareness and suddenly realised what they'd just done. "Um..."  
  
Kagome was sliding away and standing up. For a moment she stood, hovering at the end of the bed, looking a little loss for words until she suddenly turned and flew out the room. "I'm sorry!"  
  
Time was still catching up with Inuyasha and for a moment he just sat trying to remember how that kiss had just happened, before realising Kagome was running away, and that wasn't usually the reaction he wanted when he kissed someone. So he quickly took off after her.  
  
"Kagome!" he yelled as she rapidly ran down the stairs, though careful not to trip over.  
  
"Stop following me!" she yelled back, but she sounded more scared than angry at him.  
  
"What the hell are you running away for?!" he growled, skidding around a corner after. "What's gotten into you?!"  
  
"You!" Miroku's disembodied voice called out from behind him.  
  
Inuyasha ignored that comment and kept on running after Kagome, she was faster than he gave her credit for. Ever since her ankle healed she was just the little Cheetah, while he was slowed down due to some heavy injuries.  
  
Kagome couldn't believe what she'd just done. She didn't love him, she didn't trust him, and she had doubts that she could really even forgive him... but she'd kissed him and the moment she had felt that twinge of awareness when he'd kissed her back, all that pain had flooded back as well. Common sense told her not to give him her trust... or anything else so precious... but what had she just done...?  
  
"Kagome - would you stop for one minute?!"  
  
He was directly behind her, and to avoid being caught she turned suddenly, through open one of the side doors and bolted outside into the open air. She gasped audibly as she met an onslaught of rather heavy, cold rain. Wow... she really picked her moments to go for a run...  
  
Inuyasha was fast though and he was quick to catch himself before he over shot the door and ran after her, cursing her stupidity to run right into a rain storm. She had to be the thickest girl on the planet.  
  
He caught up to her before she got too far from the inn and grabbed her elbow to spin her around.  
  
"No - let me go!" Kagome tried to twist away from him. "I told you not to touch me!"  
  
"Bull! That's just an excuse - what's the matter with you?!" he growled.  
  
Kagome dropped her head and refused to look at him, but didn't try to pull away either.  
  
"Stop ignoring me!"  
  
"I'm not ignoring you!" Kagome snapped. "I just... I can't deal with this, ok?!"  
  
"You make no sense!"  
  
"Because you're confusing me!" Kagome looked up at him. The rain making her hair plaster to her cheeks, and making him uncertain whether or not she was crying. "You hate me but you don't! You want to kill me - but you want to save me! You want to help me and destroy me and I don't want that! S-So stop with the - the sweet stuff that you do that makes me... just stop ok?!"  
  
"What?" She really wasn't making any sense.  
  
"I can't... I can't like you..." or more like she could love him... but she wasn't about to go that far and say that. "I can't like you that way... you betrayed me... I can't trust you again..."  
  
That part made more sense, and he felt a pang of guilt that maybe he couldn't fix the damage he'd done. "You can't just kiss me and run away like that."  
  
"Hey - YOU kissed me!"  
  
"No! You kissed ME!"  
  
"Say it however you like - it was a mistake and it won't happen again." She turned and started walking back towards the inn. Inuyasha quickly blocked her way.  
  
"What if it does?"  
  
"If it does than you will be sure to know I have gone insane." She had to raise her voice above the clapping of the rain on the world around them. Kagome really wished he would move because she was soaking and cold by now... and if he couldn't tell, she was shivering.  
  
"Kagome! I'm sorry!" he burst out. "I can't say that enough can I?! I never meant to hurt you... well... I did... but that was before I knew you!"  
  
"So?!" Kagome stamped a foot in the wet mud. "That just proves my point! You hate who I am and what I am! You only like me as a person! How do I know you won't end up killing me?! How do I know that this isn't some kind of trick to get me to lower my guard! I won't be fooled twice - because then it will be my fault remember?"  
  
"You're a fool if you believe that I hate you!" he snapped. "I never once hid my feelings about you! And that's a promise!"  
  
"Your promises mean nothing to me! You broke them more times than you said them! I can't trust you - I'm sorry." She tried to leave again but he blocked her again. "Get out of my way!"  
  
"The way I acted around you! The things I said to you weren't a lie! I swear on my parent's graves! I wanted revenge back then because they died... but being around you has made me see that I don't have to do that!"  
  
"Oh right! Being around me has enlightened your ethics!" She rolled her eyes. "Bite me and pull the other leg! I don't care! Just leave me alone!"  
  
"Why can't you accept my apology! You said you'd forgive me!"  
  
"But I told you I wouldn't forget!" she snapped throwing her arms out. "Look at me! I'm not a country girl! I'm not special! I'm just me! And I want to go home! I want to see my dad and because of you I might never get round to doing either! I won't forget that!"  
  
"Just listen to me-!"  
  
"I know what you want to say and I understand where you're coming from! I empathise! I really do!" she shook her head and tried to walk away yet again. "But I won't trust you again."  
  
He grabbed her forearm somewhat hard and turned her back around. "Tell me why not."  
  
"I've already told you!"  
  
"No - tell me the real reason."  
  
Kagome stared at him. He wanted the truth... and she wanted to give it in a way. Slowly she set her mouth in a grim line and made sure she didn't lose eye contact with him. She wanted him to know she was serious.  
  
"You broke my heart when you abandoned me... I trusted you and you spat it in my face... please... don't make me put myself into the same position again... I don't think I could..." she broke off and looked away. "Please...?"  
  
For a while nothing was said and Kagome didn't dare raise her head to see his reaction, but she could feel his grip loosening on her arm.  
  
"Hey, over there!" a voice called out through the rain.  
  
Kagome and Inuyasha both looked up and peered through the heavy rain to the road leading into the village. From their distance they could vaguely see a group of people coming towards them. For a moment they were non-plussed, until one of the figures at the head of the group waved.  
  
Kagome's mouth dropped and her eyes went wide. "Daddy..." she whispered breathlessly. Inuyasha was quick to release her then.  
  
"Kagome!" the man yelled and soon she recognised the men around him were dressed in military fatigues.  
  
"Dad!" Kagome broke into a run at once, tears running down her cheeks and mixing with the rain droplets.  
  
He stopped and held his arms out to catch her, when she threw herself so hard into his embrace that they almost toppled over. They twirled for a moment before settling down and holding each other tight, Kagome crying and scolding about how worried she'd been.  
  
Inuyasha sighed and slowly turned around to go back inside, passing Miroku and Sango who had just emerged from the inn. He could wait to have his turn with Kagome later...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(A/N: next chapter... unsure of the title yet so hang on!) 


	17. Hypothetically

Disclaimer: Here's my plan: I'll go to Japan, fall in some random well and into the past (or a coma) and then go find Inuyasha. Once I find him I shoot him with a tranquilliser dart and slap a sticker on his head saying 'I own him'. Of course, there are no mirrors in that time... well, not many... and when he wakes up he'll be blissfully unaware that he is my property. Once I do that I can stop writing these disclaimers, and go back to the nuthouse to live out the rest of my fantasy life ^_^  
  
(A/N: I swear I'm not crazy, I'm just ill. Stupid friends have been sneezing all over me at school again - hasn't anyone heard of a tissue? Well... now I'm coming down with the flu - again! I can't believe it!)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Two Faced  
  
Hypothetically...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"The day of darkness is less than a week away..." The Prime Minister rested his chin in his palm as he leaned against the meeting table. "I have received news that Kagome has escaped her captures and has reunited with her father."  
  
"Thank god..." were the various murmurs of reply.  
  
"Though Inuyasha is still with her."  
  
This was met by silence.  
  
General Taijiya leaned forward. "Shouldn't you tell them what he did?"  
  
"There's no way to establish two-way communication. I am assuming that Kagome has told the military she is travelling with what he has done and I expect they are holding him captive." The Prime Minister shrugged. "The message from Major Houshi didn't elaborate anymore than 'we have Kagome and Inuyasha'."  
  
"Maybe we should send a plane down there to take Inuyasha back and commit him to prison. It's too risky having him out there." The General argued.  
  
"And risk having that one crash too?" the PM shook his head. "I don't think so. Besides, so far the prophesy is coming true, and I don't want to risk anything that might upset the balance. It is best we wait it out. Inuyasha won't survive the day of darkness... and neither will Kagome, unfortunately. We'll send a plan down there afterwards to pick them up."  
  
"But Major Houshi insists that we send one now." The General scowled. "My daughter is down there as well - I don't want to risk her life too."  
  
"She won't be in any danger because she has no demon soul within her." The Prime Minister shrugged. "Humans will survive fine."  
  
"So we just ignore his calls for help then?"  
  
"We have to."  
  
"But leaving Inuyasha over there... at such a critical time." The general winced. "Who knows what kind of heinous things he could be planning..."  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
If he turned off the light... and then waited a little while... the little critter would come out from under the ceiling tile... and then he could turn the light on again and with a rolled up newspaper - bam! Dead cockroach!  
  
Inuyasha patiently waited patiently under a light switch... but it seemed like his master plan wasn't really working out. Looked like even parasites could outwit him these days...  
  
With a sigh he picked himself up off the floor and went off in search of some action. All this cockroach business had made him hungry so he set off in search of the dining hall downstairs. Kagome and her father were already sat at one of the tables with Sango and Miroku. Deciding to join them, Inuyasha headed straight for that table, passing a couple of waiters and waitresses on his way.  
  
"Can you believe it?" one of the waiters was whispering. "We are standing in the presence of greatness!"  
  
"THE Mr Higurashi from the government AND the prodigal girl!" someone else squealed with delight.  
  
"You have to wonder what kind of great debates their discussing..."  
  
"Plans to save the world..."  
  
"Philosophical conversations..."  
  
"Politics..."  
  
"Some kind of top secret government conspiracies..."  
  
Inuyasha arrived at the table and sat down, catching the tale end of the 'great' debate.  
  
"Peanut butter and Jelly on toast?" Kagome winced at Sango. "Are you nuts? That's disgusting! Are you pregnant or something?"  
  
"Well its better than yucky marmite sandwiches." Sango retorted.  
  
"Don't dis the marmite!" Miroku scoffed in a feigned camp voice.  
  
Mr Higurashi was just smiling at his daughter. "I'm just glad you're all alive and well... see? Wasn't I right to get Inuyasha here to protect you?"  
  
Kagome and Inuyasha swapped brief glances before nodding quickly with big fake smiles. Sango and Miroku just knowingly smirked at one another. Those two were just so bad at lying, people could just read them like a book.  
  
"Kagome." Her father suddenly spoke up in a serious tone. "Can we take a walk for a minute or so."  
  
Kagome stiffened slightly, looking at the other three around her before nodding and smiling. "Sure." She got up and followed him out of the dinner hall and outside.  
  
Miroku happily turned to Inuyasha. "So - what's your favourite food?"  
  
The ground was still slightly damp from the rain from the previous night, but the air was a lot warmer and humid. "What did you want to talk about, dad?"  
  
"Kagome..." He sighed and clasped his hands behind his back. "You do realise the day of darkness will arrive in a week or so."  
  
Kagome frowned slightly. This was a topic she didn't really want to talk about with her father so soon after being reunited with him. "Yes."  
  
"Well... Major Houshi has asked that a plane be sent to pick us all up the day after tomorrow in the airport, south of here."  
  
"Go on..."  
  
"I want you to go back north as well." He said seriously.  
  
"What?" Kagome stopped short and stared at him. "After all these years of pressuring me to do my duty you're going to send me home?" Not that she was planning on arguing with him, she just didn't understand why he'd suddenly changed his mind. "What's going on?"  
  
He'd received a fax from General Taijiya... a fax copy of the real prophecy - the unedited version. Kagome didn't need to know those details... but after reading what would really happen, suddenly her miracle didn't sound so important anymore. She could go home and demons could live on for all he cared. If the price of wiping the demons out cost his little girl her life... then he was willing to change his mind. "You don't want to kill demons do you?"  
  
"No!" Kagome said quickly.  
  
"Then why are you arguing with me?" he smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "I don't want to make you unhappy by forcing you to do anything you don't want to. You can go home."  
  
"Thank you..." Kagome leaned against him and lapsed into silence.  
  
"Kagome?"  
  
"Yeah, dad?"  
  
"I'm glad you're alive. When they said your plane had crashed I was worried sick."  
  
"Inuyasha... looked after me." Kagome said uncertainly. "I was in safe hands."  
  
"I know. I told you he was good at his job." He squeezed her shoulder. "You should have more faith in me. But has the prophesy been coming true while I've been away?"  
  
With a sign Kagome nodded and confided in him. "There was... a time when a big demon attacked me and Inuyasha when we arrived at a desecrated village where we thought you were staying. That monster nearly killed him... and for no reason anything I threw at the monster seemed to have as much destruction as a grenade or something. I practically blew it up..."  
  
He frowned at her with concern. "Are you ok?"  
  
"It was scary for a while... and I felt sick afterwards... but I'm ok. I saved Inuyasha, that's the important thing." She nodded.  
  
"Hey, maybe we should hire you as his bodyguard instead, then?" he grinned and she smiled in response.  
  
A comfortable silence fell on them as Mr Higurashi watched the villagers around them idly. Kagome was just staring at the damp, firm earth before them as they walked. "Dad?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"How did... how did you and mom get together?"  
  
That was a very out of the blue question that threw him for a moment, but he smiled and answered anyway. "We met through our friends in University. She was studying for law and so was I... we liked each other enough to get married and have kids - we had you and then we started to pursue our own careers. She wanted to be a small town lawyer... and I wanted to go into politics. By the time we had Souta I think our views started to differ too much... and we both decided on a mutual divorce."  
  
"Did you have any hitches before you got into a relationship with her?" Kagome asked, still watching the ground with fascination.  
  
"Not really. We were very alike back in University, we got on very well. The first argument we actually ever had was about the colour of the settee we were going to have. And that was after you were born."  
  
"Oh..." Kagome murmured quietly.  
  
"Why the question?" he asked straight back.  
  
"I was just wondering..."  
  
"Sixteen years and you finally started wondering?" He gave her a suspicious look. "Tell me another one."  
  
Kagome wondered how she was going to phrase this without giving too much away. "Hypothetically..." yeah that always worked. "There's this girl... and a guy..."  
  
"You and Inuyasha?"  
  
Damn he was good. Kagome shook her head quickly. "No - it's this Mexican soap that we've been watching lately. And since we aren't going to be able to watch the rest of the plot if we go home... this scenario is bugging me."  
  
"Go on then..."  
  
"Well... there's this girl... forget her name - and there's this guy called Santito in the program." Kagome patted herself on the back mentally. "These two always fight, but just when they're starting to get to know each other and like each other more than just friends... Santito cheats on the girl and basically betrays her."  
  
"I see..." he nodded in understanding.  
  
"And then there's the whole I hate you, please forgive me, kind of period where there's all this conflict. And finally they reach an understanding with each other... but right now it's kind of uncertain where the plot is heading. I mean... the details on Santito are etchy at the most and I don't know personally if he's going to betray the girl again - and neither does this girl. But then they start seeing each other in new lights and whatever... and the girl is worried what will happen if they get too close."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I mean... she's worried... because he's really good to her from what she can see... but she doesn't trust him. But... she's worried that if she does forgive him and trust him then she'll fall in love with him."  
  
"And that would be bad in case he betrays her again, right?" her father guessed.  
  
Kagome nodded. "She doesn't want to be heartbroken again because the first time he betrayed her she got hurt because she lost a good friend. And this time she might not only lose her trust but she could lose her heart... to him..."  
  
"Right."  
  
"That's where the last episode left off... and I don't know what she'll do. What do you think she'll do."  
  
"Well, not having watched the program I don't know how they feel about one another." He shrugged helplessly. "But, it really sounds like this guy is sorry."  
  
"Yeah, but when she was getting to know him she didn't even catch a hint that he was being two faced. And now she can't be sure if he's still being two faced or if he really does want to help me."  
  
Her father blinked at her last word but didn't show he'd noticed it. Kagome hadn't seemed to notice he slip at all, she was too deep in thought. "Well... maybe she should tell him to rot in hell and leave him for someone who can take care of her better?"  
  
"What if she likes him too much to leave him. What if he's still her only true friend?"  
  
"But what if he's not being true to her?" her father asked sharply. Kagome didn't answer so he went on. "She should probably leave him. Forget him. Move on. It's best not to risk falling in love when there is too much at stake."  
  
"What if... what if she's already in love with him?"  
  
"Then she's a fool."  
  
"No she's not, she's just confused. And so is he." Kagome argued. "Trust me, I've seen the program, not you."  
  
"If he's confused then he'd probably being truthful about how he feels. Human emotion is never simple as equations. If he was trying to trick her then he'd be more sure of himself, wouldn't he?"  
  
"Yeah... I suppose..."  
  
"What exactly did he do to lose her trust?"  
  
"That's not important - what's important is how on earth is she supposed to handle this? What should she do? She looked up at him, needing an answer to her own problem from him.  
  
"It sounds like she's hurt very badly..." her father sighed. "It sounds like he's being truthful... but if he's betrayed her once he can easily do it again. If I was this girl I would keep my friendship with him, but avoid any romantic situation completely."  
  
"Keep the friendship..." Kagome echoed.  
  
"Don't avoid him." Her father said softly. "If you avoid him you will only hurt yourself."  
  
Kagome looked up, blushing furiously and about to correct him... before seeing his serious look and conceding. "Yeah... you're right."  
  
"We are talking about Miroku, right?"  
  
Kagome rolled her eyes. "Yeah dad, we're talking about Miroku."  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
The bunker door burst open and Kouga skidded to a halt before them, clearly out of breath. He stood panting for a moment, struggling to talk.  
  
"Take your time, we've got all of... ooh... a week before we all die?" Kagura said smoothly, glancing at her watch.  
  
"Inu... and... bitch... betrayed... sex... and... bets..." Kouga managed to huff out.  
  
The others just stared at him, waiting for him to elaborate.  
  
"You mean... Inuyasha betrayed the girl and is now guilt ridden and is going to the brothel and bookies?" Yura tried to decipher. "We knew that."  
  
Kouga shook his head.  
  
"You mean, Inuyasha has betrayed us because he is having sex with Kagome and their fellows are having bets about it." Kagura guessed wildly and snorted. "Yeah, right. As if that little invertebrate could think about betraying us."  
  
Kouga caught his breath, but was still gasping. "I was down at the village... heard it all... with my very own ears... Inuyasha... and the bitch were having sex... the others were making bets... they seem to trust him... I think... he's betrayed us... because he's in love."  
  
The table was suddenly turned over simultaneously as the two women rose angrily to their feet. "WHAT?!"  
  
"He's gone to them - he said he was looking for her when he left - but he's found her and he's doing her!" Kouga growled. "He's betrayed US!"  
  
Yura was about to shout something nasty when Sesshomaru cut her off. "So it is his choice to die with her then, that's braver than I gave him credit for. But stupid. I suppose he didn't think we would find out. Very well... when we attack we kill them both, understand?"  
  
Kagura was frowning. "But he's your own brother..."  
  
"That won't impair my judgement." Sesshomaru answered curtly and lifted the table back into place with one hand. "Now sit down and lets pick up where we left off... now... where were we?"  
  
Kagura looked down at her hand of cards. "Go fish."  
  
"Ah fuck!"  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Kagome left her father to go find her way around the back of the inn and to the room that she was sharing with Sango, Rin and Kikyo. She rounded a corner and bumped straight into Inuyasha.  
  
"Hey there." He greeted as she landed on her behind.  
  
"And now of all times you decide to let me fall on my ass." She grumbled.  
  
He held out his hand and she eyed it warily. He rolled his eyes. "Of for fuck's sake... don't trust me enough to help you up?"  
  
"You'll drop me as payback for that kiss." She said knowingly.  
  
"I don't plan to get revenge for one lame kiss." He snorted. "I've kissed you before that, and I didn't pay you back for that one."  
  
"I guess..." Kagome slipped her hand into his larger one and stood up.  
  
If she thought he was going to let go of her hand then she was sadly mistaken.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(A/N: good night! Next chapter - 'Concentrated Purity') 


	18. Concentrated Purity

Disclaimer: I'm bored of writing these things... and I'm hungry... so I'll go get some food now...  
  
(A/N: I'm back now! That was quick! Well, now I'm going to get chocolatty paw prints all over the keyboard... oh well!)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Two Faced  
  
Concentrated Purity  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kagome finally allowed Inuyasha to pull her to her feet and smiled slightly at his sweet offer. But when she tried to pull her hand back... she realised he wasn't letting her go. The smile slipped from her face at once and she stared at their hands. "Inuyasha...?"  
  
He didn't answer and when she finally got the nerve to look him in the eyes she was not a happy bunny. "Let go." She said shortly.  
  
"Why should I?" he tugged her forward and his arms closed around her in a matter of seconds. She gasped and stiffened, quite unsure of what to do with herself in such a position. She couldn't really believe it was possible to feel so safe... and so threatened at the same time. Part of her wanted to lean into his embrace and feel his support and strength... but there was another part, a larger part that still made it difficult for her to be this close to him. His strength scared her, that she wasn't afraid to admit. But she was more frightened of what he could do to her heart than the harm he could inflict physically.  
  
"Inuyasha - please don't start this again." She mumbled against his shoulder.  
  
"Start what?" he sounded pretty casual, almost smug. Mainly because he could hear the sound of her heart beat picking up the pace. "I'm just giving you a friendly hug."  
  
"You don't give friendly hugs - now let me go." She ordered, trying to twist away.  
  
She pushed her hands against his chest and got some leverage to lean away from him slightly so she could face him. She opened her mouth to snap at him again, but all protest was cut short when he pressed an open mouthed kiss to her lips.  
  
All at once that electric like thrill ran through her arms to her chest, just like the first time but stronger. The pleasure of feeling his mouth against hers was almost staggering... but with it came the emotional pain that she couldn't avoid. When he pushed his tongue into her mouth forcefully, he completely dominated the kiss, leaving her a little stunned and unresponsive. She really was too surprised to do much else other than stand there and let him do what he wanted to her.  
  
But the more he kissed her the stronger that thrill felt... until it was almost painful. And she had to wonder - was that excitement, or heartache? She couldn't be sure... but maybe it was both? And with that came a strange longing. Longing to be with Inuyasha? Longing to get out of this embrace? Longing to trust him...?  
  
She didn't want to deal with this yet, she wanted to escape it. Right now. She had to get out of there.  
  
"Inuyasha - stop!" she pushed against his chest again to get away, but one of his hands pushed her feeble attempt to push him away, while the other went to the nape of her neck to hold her in place. His assault on her lips turned rougher and his tongue all but ravaged her mouth, annoyed that she wasn't responding to him anymore. Annoyed and afraid that he was losing her.  
  
Kagome tried to turn her head away to catch a breather to speak but he was unrelenting and her brain was fast turning to mush. Her common sense was skipping out the door and if she didn't stop the kiss and slam that door then she'd be in trouble. "Stop..." she mumbled against his lips, still trying feebly to get away from him. "No!"  
  
And what was worse was that she was beginning to understand what that thrill feeling was in her arms and chest. It was almost like a subconscious knowing feeling... knowing that the person she was kissing right now was the person she wanted to give all her future kisses to. Something she would not abide by.  
  
Inuyasha could feel it to, but couldn't give a flying fig about what it meant. All he knew was that if felt nice and he felt it only when he was kissing Kagome. That meant he should kiss her more often.  
  
"Inuyasha!" she managed to tear her head away. "Stop or so help me I will scream rape!"  
  
He was beyond caring about what she would scream and moved to pull her back.  
  
"Cooties!" she yelled as a last resort and fortunately that seemed to snap some sense into him and he released his grip on her.  
  
Kagome stumbled back at once, holding her fingers against her puffy lips and glaring at him. "If you had any integrity you'd never do that again!"  
  
Inuyasha took a few seconds to collect his awareness back together before glaring back at her. "Don't pretend you didn't like that!"  
  
"I don't have to pretend! I DIDN'T like it!" she snapped and made to run away.  
  
Inuyasha quickly grabbed her and spun her back around to face him. "Stop running away!"  
  
"It's a free country - I can run wherever I please!" she snapped.  
  
"Then look me in the eyes and tell me you never want me to do that again!" he snapped, glaring at her.  
  
Kagome's gaze faltered to his chin. "Don't do it again!" she said meaningfully.  
  
"To the eyes!" he growled dangerously.  
  
A few moments later and she complied, locking gazes with him. A shiver ran from where his hands gripped her upper arms to her spine. Her mouth worked for a few moments before she managed to find her voice, but even then it was only a whisper. "I'm sorry... please... don't kiss me again... ever."  
  
He stared at her for what seemed like an eternity and she stared right back, making no effort to hide her feelings. She really had meant what she'd said...  
  
Slowly his grip on her arms loosened and she stepped back slightly, afraid he was going to grab her again. When he didn't she turned her back on him and started walking away, shakily, back to her room.  
  
"Kagome..."  
  
She stopped and hugged herself, but didn't turn around. She owed him enough to hear him out this time.  
  
"This can't just be it... you can't just walk away." He scowled at her back.  
  
"Then how can it be so easy to walk away?" she shrugged, not really understanding her own words. She turned suddenly and smiled at him. "Let's just stay friends, ok?"  
  
Her was stumped by her complete and total ease with that smile of hers, and he could only nod dumbly in reply.  
  
She smiled again and made her way back to her room.  
  
Once she was gone his scowl deepened and he turned angrily to find something to take his anger out on. The water pump was the closest thing and he shattered it with one fell kick. "Screw you! Who needs you anyway!" he yelled, certain she could still hear him.  
  
He stormed away from there, looking for more stuff to shatter.  
  
Miroku and Sango finally allowed themselves to breathe easier when Inuyasha had stomped away, obviously in a fowl mood. Miroku gestured for her to leave the doorway first.  
  
"I guess they broke up, huh?" Sango whispered, still cautious of enraged dog demons hanging around.  
  
"Yeah... too bad... they were such a cute couple." Miroku agreed as they made their own way back to the inn rooms.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"So when are we setting off to the airport?" Kagome asked her father as she sat on her new pack of clothes on bare essentials.  
  
Her father glanced back at the inn behind them. "When the others stumble out of bed, I guess."  
  
Kagome sighed and looked at the rest of the group. There were five marines now and six airmen. That was all that was left of Miroku's crew and her father's crew. The rest were either missing, dead, or had set off to the airport a few days ago, probably not wanting to stick around to find the others in such dangerous country.  
  
Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Rin were still inside and faffing around getting packed up late. This meant Kagome had to wait with her father, Inuyasha, Hojo and Kikyo. Every now and then she kept glancing at Inuyasha anxiously, trying to gouge how he was feeling after last night. But unfortunately he wasn't letting much through that deadpan expression. He just stood with his arms folded, his jacket long gone and discarded elsewhere. He still had his sword, Tessaiga, slung across his back with a strip of cloth that he'd undoubtedly torn from the sheets of the inn.  
  
He suddenly switched his gaze to her and she looked away quickly, even though she knew she'd been caught staring. He watched her a few moments before looking away and again and moving off out of sight of the front of the inn.  
  
Kikyo watched the exchange between the pair with interest. Word was that they'd had a lovers tiff and weren't speaking to one another. It made sense by the way they were acting now. But they'd get over it. It was just a fling after all... it wasn't like they'd find true love together so soon in life.  
  
Suddenly Sango burst out of the inn entrance with a fairly disgusted expression. "Yuck!"  
  
"What?" Kagome asked as she stormed over. Sango all but tipped her off her pack and dived inside for a canister of water. When she found one she tipped it back, took a long swig, and then spat it out again. "Blargh!"  
  
"Hey! That water is expensive, you know!" Kagome protested as Sango swished another mouthful around before spitting it out on the ground. "What's the matter with you?!"  
  
"Marmite! It's disgusting! Yuck!" Sango shuddered. "Tastes like bird faeces!"  
  
"And only YOU would know how that tastes, wouldn't you Sango?" Inuyasha commented as he arrived back from wherever it was he had gone.  
  
Kagome frowned at the other girl. "I thought you hated marmite."  
  
"No kidding!"  
  
"Then why did you eat it?" Kagome cocked her head.  
  
Sango froze before thrusting the water canister back. "Never mind!"  
  
She stomped off again to join Rin and Shippo who had just trudged out of the inn, still looking half asleep. Not soon after that Miroku came out looking pretty content.  
  
"What took you so long?" Inuyasha frowned at him.  
  
"Had to finish my breakfast." He patted his stomach. "Never start the day without a marmite sandwich to keep you going."  
  
Everyone's eyes snapped between a rather red looking Sango and a content looking Miroku and caught on. Kagome was gaping at them both. "You mean...?"  
  
It was pretty obvious how Sango had managed to get the taste of marmite in her mouth now... but no one was going to say it out loud.  
  
"Let's get moving." Kagome's father gestured for everyone to start off and so everyone stood and started trooping off in the direction of the one dirt road heading south.  
  
Kagome was by Sango's side in a heart blink. "Sango...?"  
  
"I know..." she sighed.  
  
"Why would you eat Miroku's sandwiches when you knew they were marmite?" Kagome asked.  
  
Sango stared at her in disbelief. "I don't believe you..." she shook her head and moved off.  
  
"What?" Kagome called after her.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
It was getting towards midday when they decided to stop for a rest and have food to keep them going. Kagome was thankful, mostly because her stomach was growling so loudly it was putting everyone off their march. Since there were no towns or inns along the road to the airport, they just had to sit on the grass by the road side and eat the stuff they'd brought along. Had they been English they would have been stopping every five minutes for a tea break... fortunately they were a little too pressed for time to try that.  
  
Actually, only Inuyasha was the one who didn't want to eat anything and leaned against one of the trees silently, waiting patiently for the others to finish. Kagome was growing concerned with his behaviour. Inuyasha was a naturally reserved person... but he wasn't usually this quite and distancing himself from the others.  
  
Inuyasha had good reason to be ticked off though. He hardly got any time alone with Kagome anymore because now she'd found her friends and her father. Sure he was happy for her... but now she didn't really need him anymore. That just pissed him off.  
  
"Why don't you sit down Inuyasha?" Kikyo asked, pausing as she passed him. "An army marches on its stomach, right?"  
  
"How would I know?" he snapped.  
  
Kikyo smiled faintly and shrugged. "You seem unhappy?"  
  
Why couldn't she just leave him alone. "Do I?"  
  
"Taking a wild guess... I'd say that Kagome found out your little espionage game." Kikyo folded her hands together behind her back. "Am I right?"  
  
"There is no espionage, Kikyo." He sighed, rolling his eyes. "There was no mutiny of conspiracies anyway."  
  
"Right, I forgot, you still don't trust me."  
  
"Oh, I trust you fine." He snorted. "I just don't like deluded bitches like you."  
  
Kikyo shrugged again, lightly. "And you wonder why she doesn't want to be with you...?"  
  
She walked away, heading off to have a discussion with Rin now.  
  
Inuyasha turned his head away from her and glanced at Kagome who had previously been talking with Miroku and Sango. Hojo had gone over in the short time Kikyo had been talking to him and was now engaging an apparently very hilarious discussion with Kagome. She laughed every now and then as he told her the funny story with animated hand gestures that made Inuyasha scowl. He could never make Kagome laugh like that, or really engage in simple small talk... though why should he care. He snorted and looked away.  
  
"And when the neighbour came over the next day, my brother kept making lemming noises!" Hojo laughed and Kagome was close to tears. "I was dying of embarrassment!"  
  
"Your family seems crazy!" Kagome gasped, dabbing her hands at the tears of mirth. "You HAVE to introduce me to them some time."  
  
Hojo looked delighted. "Sure, when we get back to the Northern territory we can do anything... as long as it doesn't involve demons. I've had enough of demons."  
  
"Me too." Kagome sniffed and spared another glance at Inuyasha who was glaring off into the distance.  
  
Suddenly a rather cold and intense shiver ran up her spine and she shuddered as it seemed to chill her bones.  
  
"What's the matter?" Hojo asked. "Are you cold?"  
  
"No..." she knew the feeling. She'd gotten it every time they'd come across a large smelly monster... but this shiver was ten times worse than that.  
  
The ground started to shake and everyone looked around, trying to locate the source of the earth shaking. The airmen and marines were the first ones to spot it. "Demons! Coming right at us!"  
  
Everyone shot to their feet and stared off in the direction the men were looking in. Kagome's mouth went dry when she recognised them...  
  
There had to be at least seven of the monsters, all identical to the one that had injured Inuyasha quite badly. Except these centipede demons were even bigger than the last one. That one had been just a bit taller than the average tree... these ones rose about the tree tops and were almost three times the size of the little one that had attacked her and Inuyasha. They could pass for buildings...  
  
"Oh god... oh god..." Kagome fought the urge to high tail it. She had to stay and defend Inuyasha... or more like he could defend her now.  
  
"Um... they're big..." Sango said awkwardly, gaping at the approaching monsters.  
  
"Yeah - well they're slow - I say we run for it!" Miroku said loudly and everyone else nodded in agreement. There was no way they could defeat those seven demons, they were completely unarmed and defenceless.  
  
"They're only after Kagome - we should just give her up!" Kikyo said logically.  
  
"If we get her killed then who will complete the prophesy?" Someone else argued.  
  
Well, it was nice to know they valued her life...  
  
They all turned to run, but it just wasn't happening. Because right behind them they could see three more of those enormous centipede monsters approaching, blocking their escape. And there was no way they could just run off to the side before two more were coming from the left and three more from the right...  
  
"We're surrounded!" Kagome's father was turning around, looking this way and that for some kind of escape.  
  
"Cowards..." Inuyasha muttered as he drew Tessaiga from over his shoulder. Though even he had his doubts that he would be able to bring down fifteen such creatures when only one of the mini ones had brought him down fairly rapidly. But he had to protect Kagome, they were only after her.  
  
Glancing back at her he could see she didn't look too well. She was sweating and shivering and couldn't seem to be able to hold her head up straight. It didn't look like she was going to be fit enough to kill all these demons this time.  
  
The centipede monsters were beginning to close in on them now. And it was only going to be a matter of seconds before they were going to be crushed.  
  
"We died for our country, men." Kagome's father said gravely.  
  
"And women - there are us girls here too!" Sango snapped.  
  
"And we're not dead yet!" Miroku snapped.  
  
"Fifteen against us... poor sods." Inuyasha sighed. Everyone looked at him strangely and he quickly added, "I mean poor us."  
  
Kagome was being overwhelmed by the intense shaking and cold that seemed to grip her muscles and gut, though no one seemed to notice that she was being forced to her knees. "Dad...!"  
  
He glanced down at his daughter and was by her side at once. "What's wrong?!"  
  
Not that it would matter in a few seconds.  
  
"Their evil..." Kagome gasped out, clutching her stomach. "It's hurting me!"  
  
"It's ok, don't worry." Her father gathered her close and she clung to his shoulders for all she was worth. The pain was unbearable.  
  
Inuyasha was getting restless, he could feel something that was making his skin tingle and the air behind him seemed hotter than usual. He glanced over his shoulder to see the source of the heat and the tingles was Kagome. Or at least he thought it was...  
  
"Dad..." she ground out, her eyes tightly screwed shut as the pain tore through her.  
  
Then her body went into spasms and convulsed. She screamed as she lost control and contorted out of her fathers arms.  
  
"Kagome!" Inuyasha made to reach out to her, but the nearer he got to her the more he found the heat unbearable.  
  
It was only a matter of five seconds before the demons hit that Kagome gave a rather strong spasm of the body, and from her shot of shockwave of soft pink light. It seemed to create a ripple in the air as the shockwave spread outwards the way ripples appear after throwing a stone in a pond. It passed through the group harmlessly until it met Inuyasha... and it threw him rather powerfully backwards and against a tree. He was knocked unconscious at once by the impact and slid bonelessly to the ground.  
  
The shockwave continued on, passing through Inuyasha a second time, making him twitch impulsively, before spreading outwards to the approaching demons. It hit them faster than they could retreat and at once they disappeared... or were vaporised or something...  
  
They seemed to disintegrate from the outside to the inside until they were gone. The shockwave continued on for quite some distance until it disappeared completely.  
  
There was complete silence from the group after that. The demons that had just been about to squish them into seven types of hell had disappeared and Inuyasha had been knocked out cold and had a small trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth.  
  
They were sort of at a loss for what to do when Kagome gasped and threw herself up onto her knees, startling the hell out of Sango. "Kagome, don't do-"  
  
She stopped herself short when Kagome started to heaved and gasp as though she couldn't breathe. It took them all a few moments to get over their initial shock and realise what was happening.  
  
"She's choking!" Miroku cried out.  
  
"On what?" Shippo frowned.  
  
"I don't know - her tongue?!" Miroku was the first to reach her just as she was beginning to turn blue. "Sorry Kagome, this might hurt..."  
  
He wrapped his arms around her waist and gave a sharp jab backwards. Kagome jerked with him but continued gasping and clawing at her throat. He tried the Heinlich-manoeuvre again, and again until she gave a choked cough and spat something from her mouth that landed on the ground.  
  
Kagome sagged visibly as everyone leaned closer to see what the hell she was choking on. Sango shook her head, clearly confused. "What the hell is that...?"  
  
"What was it doing inside of her?" Hojo asked.  
  
"Kagome, did you swallow this?" Miroku asked sternly.  
  
Kagome shook her head weakly and started to fall back. Her father caught her just in time and supported her carefully. "That's... the Shikon jewel..." he frowned.  
  
"The what?" Sango reached to pick it up, but the moment she touched it with her finger she hissed and pulled back. "Ow!"  
  
"You can't touch it - it's concentrated purity." Kagome's father looked just as shocked as everyone else, but he seemed to know what he was talking about.  
  
They all stared at the rose pink jewel that lay on the ground, glowing softly, though covered in Kagome's saliva. "What does that mean?" Sango whispered.  
  
"It's a bi-product of her powers I think..." Her father held her close as she slipped unconscious quietly. "She can't control it... I think she WILL kill the demon race if this continues..."  
  
"She'll kill him too." Kikyo said calmly and everyone looked up to see who she was talking about.  
  
Their gazes fixed on Inuyasha who was still slumped with an unnervingly peaceful look on his face. But he looked pretty bashed up now...  
  
Sango bit her lip and looked at Miroku. "This isn't good..."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(A/N: Confused yet? I am... anyway, next chapter - 'Let Go' ^_^ ) 


	19. Let Go

Disclaimer: From now on I won't write these suckers!  
  
(A/N: I'm so ticked off today. I found that if I go on ebay.co.uk I can find a load of really good Inuyasha merchandise! INCLUDING DVDs of seasons 1 to 4. But the only problem is that they sellers don't accept solo cards! That really sucks! Because that's all I have! I'd ask my dad to help me out but he's as tight as a duck's backside (as in water tight) and my mum gets her money off him so she's pretty much broke like me. This means I have to wait at least two years before I can buy Inuyasha anime or anything like that... BUT I'm not a patient person! See my dilemma? I'm going nuts over here!  
  
Anyway, this chapter is gonna be slightly longer than usual. YAY! Normally I would break it down into 2 chapters but... really can't be bothered right now.)  
  
Anywho... ^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Two Faced:  
  
Let Go  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"So Kagome's an oyster?" Sango nodded. "Cool."  
  
"Thanks dad." Kagome leaned against her bed and closed her eyes, still feeling quite sick in the stomach and her throat hurt a lot too.  
  
"No - that's just an analogy." Mr Higurashi told them. "You know how Oysters filter all the grit and rock in the sea water through their bodies?"  
  
"Naturally." Miroku nodded blankly.  
  
"And then they create pearls?" her father held out his hands. "That's exactly what Kagome's done... or was it clams that did that...?."  
  
"What, I've been sitting on a rock in the ocean chomping on grit?" Kagome pulled a face. "You're not making a lot of sense dad."  
  
"Well, picture yourself as an oyster - or a clam." He told her. "You come into contact with evil and purity all day every day, right? You've been filtering it through your body - every one does it."  
  
"Right..." Kagome frowned.  
  
"And seeing as you had spiritual powers, you use those to filter it all." Her father sighed. "And when you came into contact with such immense evil from those demons, it must have jolted your system and forced your spiritual powers out of your body in a solid form."  
  
"This..." Kagome held the jewel up. "Is my power?"  
  
"That's why only you can touch it." Her father sighed. "It's how the prophesy will play out. That thing will irrupt and wipe out demons-"  
  
"It can't do that!" Kagome yelped, suddenly covering it with her hands as if to stop it exploding.  
  
"It won't unless it becomes defiles, Kagome." He warned her. "That's why you mustn't let anyone except yourself touch it. It absorbs the essence of anything it touches. If anyone else holds it, it will become defiled with evil. Which is why you must steer away from Miroku."  
  
Miroku started choking on a chip while Sango patted his back. "Oh don't act so shocked." She told him. "Even you know you're pretty defiled."  
  
"Yeah, but still!" he coughed out.  
  
"I can't keep this thing..." Kagome scowled. "It's more trouble than its worth - it's already proven that!"  
  
"You can't throw it away." Her father told her sternly.  
  
"Why not?" she challenged.  
  
"Because without your purity to sustain it, that bead will become defiled anyway and will irrupt to wipe out demons... and maybe even humans if it's stained with enough evil."  
  
Kagome's face fell. "So..."  
  
"So you must hold onto it and purify it..." Mr Higurashi nodded. "It should disappear when it absorbs enough of your essence..."  
  
"Thank god..." Kagome sighed. "I don't want to hurt anyone else with it..."  
  
"What are you... ?...oh..." Sango went quiet as Kagome shot a worried glance over to the other bed in the small room. Inuyasha was stretched out on that bed... stirring slightly as if he was dreaming... and not a very pleasant dream by the way he kept frowning and occasionally groaning.  
  
"Hey... he isn't going to be happy when he wakes up, is he?" Miroku said slowly. "Maybe you should buzz him again to give us more time to sort out the problem with the..."  
  
He trailed off under the two girl's glares.  
  
"Or not..." he finished, clearing his throat. "Well, wow, look at the time, I better be off to bed."  
  
"But it's seven o'clock." Kagome stared at him.  
  
"Yeah well... it's been a tough day... carrying Inuyasha isn't exactly easy on the muscles." Miroku winced as he stood. "Besides, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."  
  
"Yeah... I better be going as well." Sango stood up quickly. "I have to go... check on Shippo and Rin..."  
  
"Me too..." Kagome's father stood as well and all three quickly trooped out of the room.  
  
"What... do I have bad breath or something?" Kagome looked around, before realising. They just didn't want to stick around for when Inuyasha woke up. Cowards...  
  
With a sigh she slowly crept over to where Inuyasha was lay... and the closer she approached the more he seemed to twist and toss his head as he slept. Another small trickle of blood was running from his ear this time... and she gently got the damp cloth she'd been using to clean it away.  
  
The doctor had said that he'd had some kind of internal injury and was bleeding inside... but since they guy hadn't really known much about Hanyou anatomy, he'd been a little stumped at how to help. It wasn't that it was totally different, seeing as all the organs were all pretty much in the same place... they just kind of worked differently from human ones. He didn't know if Inuyasha would heal by a few hours or a few days.  
  
Kagome was worried though... Inuyasha didn't usually fall unconscious after being injured... and what on earth was making him bleed at the ears?  
  
Tenderly she brushed a lock of damp hair from his brow, only to be rewarded with a slight growl and Inuyasha turning away from her. Kagome blinked at him in surprise and went to touch his shoulder. With a groan he rolled away before she'd even touched him.  
  
"Wow... you're still moody at me even when you're asleep." She sighed and left him to it.  
  
Since she was still feeling pretty tired from her earlier feat with the demons and she had been travelling all day... she didn't mind taking to bed sooner than normal. Maybe when she woke up tomorrow Inuyasha would be feeling better... she hoped...  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Cockroaches... they were everywhere.  
  
They were crawling across the ceiling and the walls, infesting his food and his slippers... and were taking over his bed. Everywhere he stepped there was a crunching sound that sent the hairs on the back of his neck on high alert... cold shivers ran up his spine in disgust, even though he felt like he was in a sauna.  
  
He absolutely hated cockroaches... they were the scum of the earth. Maybe one or two he could handle... but a whole sea of them like this was another story. When he was presented with this many... he could almost say it was a phobia...  
  
He couldn't eat, he couldn't sleep... he couldn't watch TV because he didn't dare stand or sit in one place for more than thirty seconds in case they started crawling up his legs.  
  
As he opened the kitchen door to move into the living room anyway, a few that had been hanging on the ceiling above it dropped down and landed in his hair.  
  
"Ah!" he tossed his head madly batted at his hair to get them out. And even when he knew they were all out, he still didn't stop batting... he could just FEEL their filth on him.  
  
This was going to take more than just one big rolled up newspaper.  
  
"You know what's even creepier?"  
  
He glanced up at the sound of a girl talking and saw Kagome sitting in the cushy chair before the TV set in the living room. Her back was turned to him, but from what he could see, the roaches were just crawling all over her, though the tresses of her hair and scuttling across her lap. She didn't seem to notice and continued to watch a nature program about cockroaches on TV, gradually making her way through a packet of crisps.  
  
"Did you know that cockroaches fart like three times in a minute?"  
  
"What?"  
  
The sound of his own voice woke Inuyasha from his sleep. It took him a few seconds to realise he'd been dreaming, and that he'd just spoken aloud into the quiet room he was in.  
  
It took him a little longer to stand down from that small little adrenaline rush of panic he'd been having in the dream... and as he gradually forgot the dream he started to wonder where the heck he was. The last thing he remembered was drawing Tessaiga to fight off a couple of very large demons that had been ready to attack. Everything after that was a blank... until this moment as he sat up on the bed in a swelteringly hot hotel room.  
  
He quickly noticed the only other person in the room... Kagome. She was sound asleep in her own bed and wrapped up tight in her blankets like she was cold. He swung his legs off the bed and fanned his face absently with his hand... before beginning to tug at his loose tank top shirt to get some cool air on his body.  
  
Funnily enough... the room and the air was pretty chilly... it appeared to be just him that was hot.  
  
Glancing up again at Kagome he sighed. She was safe at least... she hadn't been harmed by those demons. But just to be sure she wasn't lying on her death bed, he rose and slowly made his way towards her.  
  
As he got closer to her side, the heat seemed to increase. He ignored it for a moment until he got to her side and realised that it was beginning to bother him a lot... and it seemed to be emanating from Kagome. What was wrong with her?  
  
Small flashes of memory suddenly rose up in his mind, images of pink light racing towards him. Kagome looking like she was having a seizure on the ground.  
  
Something had happened to her...  
  
With a frown he reached down to touch her cheek gently, but that heat in his hand became so unbearable it was starting to make the bones in his fingers hurt. He pulled back slightly, before suddenly noticing a small ball shaped stone hung around her neck. He'd never seen her wear a piece of jewellery like that... or any jewellery for that matter. And he had to say it did look pretty ugly for jewellery.  
  
He reached out to touch it... before deciding not to. The closer he moved his hand towards it the more his hand started to ache, and tiny blisters began appearing over the pads of his fingers.  
  
For some reason he couldn't touch Kagome without feeling pain. Even being around her made him feel uncomfortable and a little on edge, not to mention a little hot and bothered in the literal sense, not the ecchi sense.  
  
So, quietly, he grabbed Tessaiga that had been laid out on the bed beside him and slipped out through the door. The air in the corridor outside was such a relief as his body started to cool at once. Kagome was definitely the source of that heat.  
  
With a slight pout and a frown and leaned against the wall and slid down to sit on the floor with his back against it. It was better to sleep sitting upright than on a cushy bed in an incredibly hot room. Maybe whatever was wrong with Kagome would be fixed in the morning?  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Kagome woke up the next morning, gradually pulling herself out of her dream. She frowned as she remembered small bits and pieces of it... something about her sitting in a room full of cockroaches and watching TV. Now that had been pretty creepy.  
  
She sat up with a fuzzy head and peered blearily across the room to the second bed. It was empty, and it took her a few seconds to realise who was supposed to be in it.  
  
"Inuyasha..."  
  
She hurriedly managed to disentangle herself from the sheets and looked around. He wasn't on the floor... which meant he'd probably stumbled out of bed before her. Did that mean he was up and awake and feeling better?  
  
Anxious to find out, Kagome tugged on some fresh clothes and shot out of that bedroom faster than she had in her entire life. Looking around anxiously she found her way downstairs to the breakfast room. Miroku and Sango were the only ones up so early and were sat across from one another on one of the smaller tables. They also seemed to be having a rather intense discussion since they seemed to think it necessary to speak with their noses almost touching.  
  
"Hey!" Kagome called as she ran towards them.  
  
Sango jumped up and clutched her heart like she was having one of Inuyasha's heart attacks. "Not so loud so early, Kagome!" she gasped out.  
  
"Right - have you two seen Inuyasha around? He isn't in his bed."  
  
Sango began shaking her head but Miroku smiled. "Oh - he's sleeping?"  
  
"Where?" Kagome frowned.  
  
"In the second bed in my room." He shrugged. "I found him snoozing in the corridor outside your room and since he barely had the strength to lift his head and insult me - I realised it was pretty serious and he needed some serious R and R."  
  
"But... what was wrong with sleeping in my room?" Kagome didn't understand what had made him want to move.  
  
"I don't know... you were in it, I guess." Miroku shrugged again. "You want some cornflakes?"  
  
"Uh... ok..." Kagome sat herself down beside Sango, feeling a little dejected already. However, it was short lived.  
  
"Mornin' Inuyasha." Sango called cheerfully a few minutes after Kagome had begun to eat her cereal.  
  
Kagome was on her feet and hurrying towards him through the tables at once. He still looked half asleep and his hair was stuck up on one side, but when he saw Kagome coming, he also felt that painful heat coming too, and quickly made a point to step back.  
  
Kagome saw his deliberate attempt to avoid her and put a table between them, and so stopped to stare at him. "Are you ok? You weren't there when I woke up - you had me worried."  
  
"I'm ok." He said quickly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and also trying to rub away the approach of a headache.  
  
"You had a fever... are you ok now?" Kagome edged around the table, reaching up to press a palm against his forehead. He saw it coming and knocked it away with the briefest of touches. She missed the wince he made as he did so.  
  
"I'm ok." He said again, moving around her to go to the table, giving her wide berth as he did so.  
  
Kagome stood with confusion for a moment, wondering what the hell was happening. Inuyasha was suddenly acting so... cold towards her... as if he didn't want to know her.  
  
Wait... this hadn't been all of a sudden. He'd been acting like this since she'd turned him down flatly after he'd kissed her outside the inn. He really didn't want to 'just be friends', did he?  
  
She'd have to fix that... later...  
  
Meanwhile Inuyasha was having a little dilemma of his own. He probably should tell someone that he was having difficulty touching Kagome. It was more than a little problem. This could affect his performance if she ever got in trouble and he had to save her again. That would be difficult if he couldn't touch her or carry her.  
  
Kagome soon plopped down beside him at the table and continued to eat her cereal, deliberately refusing to look at him.  
  
She was probably taking it wrong, knowing Kagome. She had a habit of jumping to conclusions about stuff she didn't really understand... that was ok... but he needed to correct her about it.  
  
He was about to open his mouth and say something when Hojo came in cheerfully and sat down opposite Kagome. "Hey."  
  
"Hey Lemming boy." She greeted with a grin that they both chuckled at.  
  
Great, Inuyasha thought with a roll of the eyes, now they had a little in- joke of their own that excluded everyone else, especially Inuyasha. Inuyasha glared at Hojo as the boy reached out and touched Kagome's hand. His fingers lingered there as he spoke.  
  
"Hey, I was just speaking to the Stuart at the front desk and he says there are some great hot springs nearby (you all can see it coming can't you? ^_^). You have to go check them out sometime before we move on to the airport."  
  
"Sounds great." Kagome responded with a smile.  
  
Hojo finally removed his hand from Kagome's and Inuyasha's urge to kill went down slightly, but not very much. This went unnoticed by Kagome, but Miroku and Sango were staring at him. It was obvious from his rather tense expression that he wanted to rip Hojo a new hole... so what was stopping him?  
  
Any thoughts of informing Kagome or anyone else about the problem with touching flew out of his mind when the little display with Hojo was over. The only thing that was keeping that boy from touching Kagome further was the fact that there were rumours that Kagome and Inuyasha were involved. But if anyone found out that they could no longer touch... Inuyasha wouldn't be able to defend her from the attentions of every man travelling with them.  
  
He was lucky they weren't all moving in on his territory already... well... maybe Hojo had - but Hojo was a wuss that Inuyasha could easily take care of... as long as Kagome didn't know about it.  
  
He'd have to talk to her later.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Those hot springs were a blessing after all. Kagome decided to go find them on her own later that day, so she could have some privacy. The water was lovely and warm and the trees around her shielded her from view of the hotel or the other springs... it was just so relaxing...  
  
Here she could finally find the time to analyse her problem... or more like problems. First of all was this damn Shikon jewel hanging around her neck. She wanted to get rid of it as soon as possible... hopefully before the day of darkness which was less than a week away. To purify it in less than a week... was that even possible?  
  
Even if she didn't manage to do it... she wouldn't unleash it's power on the demons, unless it was against her will. She didn't want to kill anyone... she couldn't stress it enough. And recently her father had been so supportive of her decision, which kinda sent her for a loop. It was such a turn around that she thought her father might have been kidnapped and replaced with another clone or something. After sixteen years of being a father... he finally decided to become paternal?  
  
Kagome snorted as she thought this over and sank deeper into the steamy hot water to rub her arms. She had to remember that his decision to support her was going against his job, religion and what he believed was the good of humanity.  
  
Pretty big when she stepped back and looked at it from another view point...  
  
Her other problem was Inuyasha. Which, in her opinion, was a bigger one than the possible destruction of the world. After all, she was a teenager so naturally a love life came before life.  
  
But he was so frustratingly confusing! She didn't get him a lot of the time.  
  
One moment he was kissing her life she was his last life line, and then he was acting all callused towards her like she'd ruined his life... which maybe she had... but that was a little extreme. But it was like he was going out of his way to avoid her completely...  
  
That saying; you don't know what you've got till it's gone... It fitted perfectly with the Inuyasha problem. Before she'd gone out of HER way to avoid him... and now that he was doing the same to her... she had to admit that she missed him a little...  
  
She heard the sound of someone walking purposely through the trees behind her and she quickly ducked down further in the water so only her bare shoulders were visible.  
  
"Who's there?" she called quickly, slightly worried about being caught on her own in a hot spring...  
  
The walking stopped and she waited with baited breath for a moment until Inuyasha suddenly appeared before her. "Kagome?"  
  
She relaxed and smiled. "Oh, it's only you."  
  
She was naked... and she was right in front of him. Inuyasha figured that not only her proximity was responsible for the way his body heated up fairly rapidly the moment he saw her. He straightened at once. "Ok... I better go..." he turned to go.  
  
"Wait!" Kagome stood up straight out of the water. "Don't run away... you can stay if you want."  
  
"Um..." if he turned he'd see her... so he spared himself the embarrassment and just kept his back turned.  
  
"Inuyasha, why have you been avoiding me...?" Kagome asked, not bothering to keep the hurt tone out of her voice. "I know what I said must have hurt... but I still want to be friends - you said you wouldn't leave me... but you are..."  
  
"I'm not." He said quickly, still not turning. "I just... have to be somewhere."  
  
"Yeah? Just where exactly is it you need to be?" she asked, her hands firmly planted on her hips. "Well?"  
  
Naked Kagome was just occupying his thoughts and he really couldn't think of a good reason just then. "Um... I have to go... sew my shirt back up... yeah..."  
  
"Sew?" Kagome looked at the back of his head incredulously. "That's believable."  
  
"You're just mad cause you can't sew." He folded his arms.  
  
"Will you look at me when you're talking to me?" she gasped with exasperation. "I want to know why you don't like me all of a sudden!"  
  
"Kagome..."  
  
"Look at me!"  
  
"Hey, that's not what I signed up for when I took this job you-"  
  
"Oh stop being a baby and turn around!" she snapped.  
  
Inuyasha took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he turned around slowly.  
  
"Oh for the love of... Open your eyes!" she hissed.  
  
He cracked one open, before snapping both open and staring at her. Well... he was a LITTLE disappointed... mostly because she was just wearing a strapless swim suit... dammit...  
  
She saw him relax visibly and wondered what the heck was going through his mind. "Now can we just talk for once like two civilised people?" she waded towards the bank, mindful of how she stepped since there were a lot of jagged, sharp rocks around her.  
  
"No." he just bluntly, but sat down on the bank anyway. The distance between them was at least a metre, making him slightly hot and uncomfortable, but he could tolerate that for now if he could just be alone with her.  
  
"We could still be friends, you know?" she asked, hands braced against the bank.  
  
"We could be the last of a rare dying species of belly dancing worms... but we're not." He cast her a small glance. "Well, at least I'm not."  
  
"You're only saying that to wind me up. It won't work on me. I know you too well." She said idly.  
  
"Damn. Foiled." He snapped his fingers and looked away from her. "But it's not like I'm saying we shouldn't be friends. It's you that's making that impossible."  
  
"Me?!" Kagome burst out. "How is this my fault?!"  
  
"You and your superior morality." He snapped and suddenly feigned her voice in a mockingly high tone. "I can't trust you so how can I be your friend when friendship is based on trust and loyalty, blah, blah, blah, does my bum look big in this?"  
  
"Inuyasha!" she scowled at him. "I do not speak like that!"  
  
"That's not the point - but that's the way you act!"  
  
"I do NOT say 'does my bum look big-'"  
  
"No - I meant the part about trust." Inuyasha snapped angrily. "You have a problem with trust - so YOU'RE the one with problem with being friends."  
  
He had her there, and her head dropped slightly.  
  
He glanced back at her angrily. "If that's true then how can we just be friends?"  
  
She wanted to trust him... she really did... but she needed more proof than just his word.  
  
"Then we can't be friends... can we?" she said quietly.  
  
He sighed quietly and turned his head away, determined that this time it was her own silly fault. When he didn't answer she swallowed hard and held up her hand. "Pull me out, would you?"  
  
Inuyasha stiffened... he couldn't.  
  
"Fine... be that way, then." Kagome grumbled as she started to heave herself out beside him. The tingly heat that spread through his body increased and he tried to lean inconspicuously away from her.  
  
Suddenly Kagome gasped and squeaked as her foot slipped out from underneath her on the mud of the bank and she started to tip backwards. Almost out of instinctual reaction Inuyasha's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist to prevent her from falling onto the rocks below her... but quickly regretted that move.  
  
"Shit!" he gasped and almost let go.  
  
"Inuyasha!" Kagome grappled to hold onto him, teetering at a forty-five degree angle to the water. "Pull me up! Pull me up!"  
  
The pain seemed to shoot up his arm in sharp painful stabs and with each stab of pain he almost released his grip... making it difficult to do much else that just keep her from falling.  
  
Kagome glanced over her shoulders and winced at the rocks below her, before glancing back at Inuyasha to see what was taking so long. He looked like he was in agony... and she suddenly noticed that the hand that gripped her wrist was slowly going red and had already started to blister. "What the..."  
  
"Ow... ow... shit... fuck... dammit... ow..." Inuyasha muttered as he breathed, trying to gather enough will to pull her back up straight.  
  
His hand was beginning to blister like he was touching an iron... and it didn't take a genius to realise what she was doing to her. "Let go!"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Look at your hand - Let go! I'll be fine!" Maybe that was exaggerating... but she didn't want him to lose his hand over her.  
  
"Don't be stupid - I can handle this!" he gritted his teeth.  
  
"I'm not the stupid one here, you - whoa!" she gasped as she was suddenly jerked forward and toppled face first onto the ground. She braced her forearms against the earth as she heard furious splashing sounds behind her. "Well that's wonderful... now I need another bath..."  
  
"Ow... ow... ow... ow... ow... ow..."  
  
She glanced around and frowned as she shifted to crouch behind Inuyasha who was now lying on his stomach, dashing his burnt and blistered hand in the water. "Did... I do that? I'm sorry..."  
  
"Not your fault." He grunted as scowled. "You know this would work a lot better if this water was fucking COLD!"  
  
"What just happened?" Kagome shook her head. "That's never happened before... unless..."  
  
"Unless what...?" he didn't bother looking up at her.  
  
Kagome reached out silently, about to touch him square on the back. he seemed to sense her coming and suddenly rolled away. "What the hell are you trying to pull?"  
  
"I just had to see..." Kagome reached up to finger the heavy Shikon jewel around her neck. "I can't touch you can I... without hurting you?"  
  
Inuyasha sighed and sagged onto his back, his head dangling off the bank. "Yeah..."  
  
"Since... since I choked up the Shikon...?" Kagome breathed. "This isn't good..."  
  
"You're telling me..." he growled. If she let this get out then everyone (every boy) would be delighted that Inuyasha couldn't hold any right over her. That, he wouldn't allow. "Don't tell anyone, will you?"  
  
"What? Why not?" Kagome frowned. "They could help?"  
  
"By making me wear oven mittens - I don't think so." He sat up and held up his hand for examination. "Ew... what's that black stuff...?"  
  
"You're just worried I'll become officially available if you really can't touch me." Kagome said suddenly and stood up angrily. "You're so damn self- centred and selfish!"  
  
"That's not fair!" he was on his feet and at once reached out to stop her running away, but quickly changed his mind and moved to block her exit instead. "I just saved you from getting a rock shaped hole in your head - and that's how you thank me?!"  
  
"Did you think that was a thank you?!" Kagome retorted. "What I meant to say was 'stop trying to dominate me you possessive git'!"  
  
"Who's trying to dominate?!" he burst out. "Just because I don't want people to know I have a weakness means I'm trying to bully you?!"  
  
Kagome was about to shout straight back when she stopped and thought about that for a moment. "Um... I didn't say 'bully'..."  
  
"But that's what you're implying." He hissed.  
  
Kagome threw up her arms. "Just admit it! You're jealous!"  
  
"Ok! I'm jealous!" Inuyasha shouted back.  
  
"W-what?" she hadn't expected him to really say it.  
  
"I'm jealous! I hate it when Miroku suckers up to you! I hate it when that simpering lemming Hojo keeps touching you and making you laugh! I get jealous of your father for god's sake! You keep hugging him!"  
  
"He's my father!" Kagome gasped at him.  
  
"Yeah, well why don't you hug me?!" Inuyasha said, sounding suspiciously like a pouting child.  
  
"Because you hurt my feelings!" Kagome snapped back. "More than that actually!"  
  
"How am I supposed to make it up to you?!" he suddenly thumped a nearby tree, making it shudder. "Just tell me and I'll do whatever it takes?!"  
  
"Would you jump off a cliff?!"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"Stick a needle in your eye?!"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"Seriously?"  
  
"YES!... but please don't be serious about that..."  
  
"Just to gain my trust?" she whispered.  
  
"Yeah..." he sighed. "But you won't tell me what to do..."  
  
Kagome looked down at the ground beneath them and thought very hard for a while. She knew that her silence was making him uncomfortable but she didn't care about that.  
  
"You don't have to jump off a cliff." She smiled up at him suddenly. "I think... I think you've proved enough that you mean what you say..."  
  
He watched her carefully.  
  
"When you stopped me from falling... if you'd have been plotting to earn my trust you would have thought about grabbing my hand before doing it." She bobbed slightly, through nervousness. "You didn't think - you just did it... which is why you need to bandage that hand now."  
  
"So you believe me?" he asked quietly.  
  
Kagome paused a moment before nodding. "I trust you. I don't think I ever really lost it..." she waved a hand absently. "I was just mad at you."  
  
"Great, so you put me through all that hell just so you can get your own back on me." He stepped back angrily. "You waited till just the right moment to tell me didn't you? Tell me when I can't touch you - well done!"  
  
"I didn't plan that!" she ground out. "Right now I want to hug you - and I would... but I don't think you'd appreciate it..."  
  
"No..." scratched an itchy ear and shrugged. "I guess... the best thing to do now would be to wait out this problem..."  
  
Kagome was sick of waiting around... but she nodded anyway.  
  
"Should we go back to the hotel now?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
Kagome nodded, and almost reached out to slip her arm around his. She'd almost forgotten straight away! With a sigh she pulled back before she could touch him and frowned as she followed him. It just felt natural for her to touch him at a time like this. Even in the most innocent brush of skin or whatever... she missed being able to hold him, right when she needed it most.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"Stupid Kouga... such a kiss ass..." Kagura grumbled as she stalked along the dirt track with her crossbow slung over her shoulder. "Just because he has rheumatism -I- have to be the one to do everything..."  
  
She'd been given orders to kill both Inuyasha and the prodigy girl. A fairly easy job. But she was cold and she'd had to skip supper for this... that just was plain mean. Why couldn't Sesshomaru get off his lazy butt and do something for once? Or was he too chicken to think about shooting his little brother?  
  
"Coward." She breathed as the hotel came into sight.  
  
She didn't think they'd be going straight on to the airport, since all the flights to the North had been cancelled due to 'bad weather'. More likely, the government up North didn't want the prodigy girl to leave the Southern territory and were going to great lengths to ground her there. No doubt they would be staying at this hotel.  
  
She slipped into the trees that surrounded the building and planned to make her way around to the side where she could climb the outside wall and find the bedrooms of the two love birds. It was growing dark, so she hoped at least that they were in bed by now... hopefully sharing the same bed... then maybe she could literally kill two birds with one arrow.  
  
The sound of voices close by made her stop and look around.  
  
There at one of the side entrances stood Inuyasha, leaning against the wall and talking to the prodigy girl. At such a distance Kagura couldn't hear quite what they were saying, but it sounded like banter to her. Creeping closer, she stopped at the edge of the trees and went into a crouch with her crossbow rested on her knee.  
  
This was going to be easier than she'd thought... but she had a problem. If she shot one of them, the other would run and attack her. And since she really needed to shoot the girl first... then Inuyasha would undoubtedly find her and get her before she could fire a second arrow to hit him. Not that an arrow would really slow him down anyway...  
  
Kagura readied her first arrow silently and glanced up as the prodigy girl moved to nonchalantly touch Inuyasha's arm. He quickly moved away and she smiled and shook her head apologetically.  
  
Sickening...  
  
Kagura lifted the bow and aimed carefully at Kagome... closing one eye to make sure she didn't miss. Then without much suspense, she pulled the trigger and let the arrow fly with a loud snap.  
  
The arrow hit it's mark... dead centre in the chest. The girl, Kagome, screamed and stumbled against the wall.  
  
Inuyasha reacted like lightening but didn't really know what to do. One minute he'd been talking to her the next she was crumpling to the ground. He heard another snap behind him and he quickly turned away to avoid being hit by a second arrow with a poison tip. He located the source of the shots at once and heard a very Kagura like curse being uttered, before the sound of rapidly retreating footsteps.  
  
Inuyasha should probably have given chase... but something else was more important right then.  
  
He turned back and crouched down beside her, hand hovered over the arrow as she laboured for breath. Then suddenly she stopped gasping and choking... and just stopped...  
  
Inuyasha stared in shock for a moment before leaning back. "Kagome... KAGOME!" he looked back at the hotel. "Someone! Get help!"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(A/N: long, huh? Anyway, next chapter - 'Kagome's Sacrifice' Sounds ominous, I know.) 


	20. Kagome's Sacrifice

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha but he's free to give himself up to me ^_^  
  
(A/N: For once I can't really think of anything to say... only you'll be slightly surprised in a moment.)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Two Faced:  
  
Kagome's Sacrifice  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Inuyasha pressed his fingers to her neck and drew back quickly. No pulse... no breathing... she was dead. "Kagome!"  
  
"What?" Kagome stepped out of the hotel doorway behind him. "You calling me...?"  
  
"Stay with Kikyo." Inuyasha ordered shortly and took off at once.  
  
Kagome gasped when she saw her body double lying on the ground with an arrow in her chest. "Kikyo! Oh god... oh god..."  
  
Sango appeared in the doorway. "What's with all the shouting..."  
  
"Get dad!" Kagome called over her shoulder as she bent down to cradle Kikyo's head. She quickly checked for a pulse but found none, though that could mean anything since Kagome had never been too sure where to check for a pulse.  
  
Sango disappeared for a few minutes while Kagome stroked Kikyo's hair and held her hand. She was growing cold. It wasn't long before Sango was back with Mr Higurashi.  
  
"What happened?" he asked as he crouched on Kikyo's other side.  
  
"I-I don't know!" Kagome stressed. "Inuyasha called me - and then took off! Someone shot her!"  
  
"She's dead..." Mr Higurashi said quietly after finding no pulse.  
  
"No - you have to do something! What about CPR?"  
  
"I don't think that would work..." Mr Higurashi shook his head as Miroku and Hojo quickly found their way to the scene of the crime. Suddenly Sango had an idea.  
  
"Can't you just... heal her or something, Kagome?" Sango asked sceptically. "I mean... with the Shikon?"  
  
There was a beat as everyone considered this. Kagome looked up at her father. "Dad... can I do that...?"  
  
"It's risky... but try it anyway." He nodded.  
  
"What do I-"  
  
"Whatever you feel you should do." He interrupted. "But quickly!"  
  
Kagome swallowed hard past the lump in her throat and grasped the Shikon no Tama for luck.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Kagura hurriedly pulled a feather from her hair as she ran full out through the trees. She knew Inuyasha was going to give chase after a miss like that, he'd be downright pissed that she'd just killed his little lover. But Kagura wouldn't let that get her down - after all, she'd just saved an entire race from extinction.  
  
She threw the feather down before her and hopped onto it the moment it transformed into a much larger leaf. The moment she had her balance she shot off faster than she had in her entire life... she didn't want to stick around to test the patience of an angry dog demon - hanyou or not.  
  
A flicker of movement off to her right made her snapped her head around in that direction, but she barely had enough time to react as something impacted against her side, sending her flying off her transport and against her tree. The leaf she'd been using skidded off course and slammed into a tree to transform back into a feather with a small puff of smoke.  
  
Black dots danced in front of her vision as she tried to gain her bearings, but she could hear someone storming angrily towards her. The moment he reached her she snapped her fan open and slashed it towards him. Inuyasha leaned back quickly to avoid being sliced and his hand shot forward to knock the fan out of her grip.  
  
"Mutinous dog!" Kagura spat. "How could you betray us for that scum?!"  
  
"You spout a lot of crap for someone who knows nothing!" Inuyasha growled as he scraped Tessaiga out of its scabbard. Kagura leaned back slightly as he moved to hover the blade inches from her throat. She swallowed hard but continued to glare at him.  
  
"This is your own loss..." she hissed quietly. "You could have been a hero... but instead you're a coward and a traitor... you chose to side yourself with death Inuyasha."  
  
"I made the right choice." He snapped angrily. "I won't be a murderer because a bunch of rumours say Kagome will kill us!"  
  
"Kagome..." Kagura smirked. "Awfully familiar with her now, are we? Too bad she's dead."  
  
"No... you shot the wrong girl." Inuyasha growled. "Kikyo's the one who's dead..."  
  
Kagura mentally cursed. Sesshomaru was going to skin her alive for a mistake like this... that was... if his little brother didn't do it first. "What are you waiting for? Aren't you going to execute me?"  
  
"Why waste my time on filth like you?" Inuyasha snorted. "I only caught up with you to tell you that you hit the wrong girl. You'd be in more trouble if I just let you live."  
  
"I'll be back again! And I'll get you and you're little bitch!" Kagura growled.  
  
"Really? You couldn't hit a tortoise with an arrow if it was dead, lying on its back and with a bulls-eye painted on its stomach." Inuyasha smirked. "No need to kill you... I'd just be sinking to your level."  
  
He pulled his blade back and sheathed it.  
  
"You'll regret it." Kagura smiled cruelly. "And so will she..."  
  
Inuyasha shrugged and started to walk back to the hotel. Kagura reached for her fan and silently spread it wide and raised it as if to strike. After a moment of hesitation, she lowered it and growled at herself. "Asshole..."  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"Kikyo... Kikyo, can you hear me?" Kagome called, brushing the back of her hand against her own forehead to wipe away the cold sweat. She felt sick again... but at least she'd done something good with the Shikon this time.  
  
Kikyo's eyes fluttered open and she blearily focused on the people gathered around her. "What... what just happened?"  
  
"You got shot." Miroku told her.  
  
"Kagome saved you." Sango nodded.  
  
Kikyo looked down at herself and lifted a hand to finger the ripped hole in her shirt from where an arrow had pierced her... but underneath the skin was smooth and undamaged.  
  
"You saved me?" Kikyo frowned at Kagome as she sat up.  
  
"Yeah... do you feel ok?" Kagome asked, squeezing her fists by her sides to stop from trembling with fatigue.  
  
"Fine..." Kikyo stood up and wondered back inside.  
  
Sango huffed and balled her hands against her hips. "She could have at least said thank you!"  
  
"Leave her, Sango..." Kagome sighed, momentarily closing her eyes to rub them, but she had trouble forcing them open again. "Can we just... go to bed now?"  
  
The rest of the group looked up suddenly as they heard someone approaching and saw Inuyasha coming towards them out of the trees. "Where's Kikyo?" he asked, wondering if they'd cremated her already.  
  
"She's inside, she's ok..." Miroku said, glancing back at a very ill looking Kagome.  
  
Inuyasha took another step towards them and was suddenly blown over by a wave of dizziness. "Whoa..." he breathed as he stumbled back a bit. Everyone glanced up as he staggered, frowning in question.  
  
It was because of Kagome... as he got closer to her the weaker he felt... like his energy was being sucked from him. He had to keep his distance from her, otherwise he'd end up falling unconscious on them. Then what would the others think?  
  
But they didn't pay much more attention to him when Kagome swooned suddenly and fell back against Sango. The other girl held her carefully. "Kagome...?"  
  
"Just need... to rest..." she whispered.  
  
Miroku glanced at Inuyasha. "You better take her inside and put her to bed."  
  
Inuyasha didn't move.  
  
"Well?" Sango scowled at him. "Are you gonna take her or not?"  
  
"I... I hurt my hand..." Inuyasha held up his burnt and blistered hand. "I can't carry her."  
  
Even Kagome's father knew that was just an excuse. Inuyasha was capable of carrying Kagome with burns covering his entire body... he just didn't want to carry her.  
  
"I'll take her then." Miroku said, hefting Kagome up bridal style and carefully carrying her away. Inuyasha had to stop himself from moving forward and snatching her off the other boy... but he caught himself and stayed put. It wasn't like Miroku was trying to seduce her or anything, he needed to stop being so paranoid.  
  
"Inuyasha?"  
  
He glanced up as Kagome's father started towards him. Inuyasha tensed up, not knowing what to expect from the older man.  
  
"Did you see the Shikon just now?" he asked.  
  
"Uh... no." Inuyasha answered truthfully.  
  
Mr Higurashi sighed and looked towards the inn doorway where the rest of the group were making their way inside. "It's stained..."  
  
"Tainted?" Inuyasha guessed.  
  
Kagome's father nodded. "I would have thought saving the life of an innocent would help to purify it... it should have absorbed some of Kikyo's essence and been purified slightly."  
  
Inuyasha snorted and was about to correct the man that Kikyo was in no was an innocent. Her essence was stained with more malice and hatred than even Inuyasha was. No doubt saving her had defiled the jewel somewhat. But if he revealed that to Mr Higurashi, Mr Higurashi would then know Kikyo wasn't as good as she made out to be. And if he confronted Kikyo about that, there was no doubt in his mind that she would then reveal Inuyasha's activities to the whole group. Something he didn't need... just yet anyway...  
  
"I don't understand..." Mr Higurashi sighed again. "But I suppose Kikyo has endured a darker past than most... I suppose that would result in tainting the jewel with her own painful experiences."  
  
"Sure." Inuyasha shrugged and was about to beat a hasty retreat when Mr Higurashi's arm snapped out, blocking his way. Inuyasha glanced at him quickly.  
  
Kagome's father fixed him with a penetrating look. "I've heard things from the younger cadets about you and Kagome..."  
  
Oh dear... Inuyasha had to stop himself from panicking and running away. Protective fathers were worse than demons any day.  
  
"And after shunning her just now-"  
  
"It wasn't personal - my hand really hurts, that's all." Inuyasha said quickly. How was he supposed to tell the dad that he'd just been messing around when he'd pretended to have sex with Kagome. The guy would probably like that even less.  
  
"Even so... if I hear you are not doing your duty protecting her... or are letting your emotions control your actions..." he let the warning hang. "Besides... it is Miroku she wants, not you."  
  
Inuyasha froze and Mr Higurashi walked away to go back inside.  
  
Ok... maybe that little spark of possessive, paranoid jealousy hadn't been irrational after all. She liked Miroku? Had she just been stringing him along? If so then...  
  
No. He was probably being stupid. Kagome's father had probably just got his signals crossed or something. There was absolutely no way that Kagome would even go for Miroku's type... she didn't ever treat him that way... unless she was holding herself back for Sango's sake.  
  
Slowly he found his way inside and closed the door behind him, still slightly on the edge and on the look out for snipers and ninjas... though it was unlikely his old cell would strike twice in the same night.  
  
"Hey." Kikyo suddenly appeared in one of the bedroom doorways as he made his way back to his own bed.  
  
"What?" he paused briefly.  
  
"Thank you for flying off to avenge my death." She said evenly.  
  
His deadpan expression cracked into a smirk. "I didn't kill that bitch... you're not worth avenging, Kikyo. Don't get your hopes up."  
  
He walked away before he could see her reaction to that statement and headed towards Kagome's doorway. The door was open so he stopped outside and looked in, already he could feel the heat Kagome was emitting, although none of the others could feel it. Sango, Miroku and Mr Higurashi were gathered around her.  
  
"She's got a fever." Sango announced quietly that had Inuyasha straining to hear what was being said from such a distance. But he didn't dare come any closer.  
  
"The day of darkness is approaching." Mr Higurashi nodded. "At this rate... I don't think she can stop the prophesy."  
  
"I won't... do it..." Kagome writhed uncomfortably on the bare sheets of her bed.  
  
"I don't think you have much choice in the matter, Kagome..." Mr Higurashi told her quietly before glancing up at the other two beside him. "Could I have a moment alone with her?"  
  
They swapped uncertain looks before nodding and meekly exiting the room, moving past Inuyasha and closing the door behind them. Inuyasha stayed where he was as Miroku and Sango moved off to their own bedrooms.  
  
"Kagome... there's something about the prophesy you should know, princess." He said softly.  
  
Inuyasha pressed his head against the door, laying an ear flat against it. The heat had gone down considerably with the door in the way.  
  
"Let me take a wild guess... would it be... that I kill demons?" Kagome panted.  
  
"No..."  
  
"The day will be dark?"  
  
"No..."  
  
"That's about all I know." Kagome sighed. "Go on..."  
  
"The prophesy says... it says that the grey one will be wiped from the earth along with all the black..."  
  
"W-what does..." Inuyasha heard Kagome stutter into quiet before finding her voice again. "Am I... supposed to die...?"  
  
There was no answer other than a choked sob coming from Kagome. Mr Higurashi must have just nodded... and Kagome's reaction confirmed it for Inuyasha...  
  
So Kagome was going to die...?  
  
It seemed likely seeing as Kagome had trouble even now handling her own powers... they were practically burning her up inside out...  
  
He didn't want to hear anymore, so he got up and left. He had less than a week until he would be purified and killed by Kagome's power... along with his brother, his cell and every other demon on the planet. Not only that... but the force of Kagome's own power would obliterate her too...  
  
There had to be some way out of this mess...  
  
But right then, he couldn't think of any possible way to prevent the inevitable happening...  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Yura had come back from her spying mission after Kagura's failure and confirmed the worst. Kagome was indeed still alive and was progressing onto the final stages of the prophesy. And even worse... the boss wasn't happy and had summoned Sesshomaru to his domain to have a few words.  
  
It wasn't exactly that far when one could transform into a giant dog and travel fifty miles an hour at least. Once he found the cave entrance where the leader of their rebellion hid out he transformed back into his humanoid form and entered with only the slightest hesitation.  
  
For all appearances it looked just like your average cave... but at the far back of the cave was a narrow crack in the rock. Sesshomaru squeezed himself through and soon found himself into a whole new part of the cave... which seemed more like a cavern than anything else. In the middle was a lake of ice cold water and water dripped down the walls and the stalagmites into the large pool. But Sesshomaru's main focus of attention was on the figure cloaked in the encompassing white baboon pelt who stood before the pool, still as a statue.  
  
"You wanted to see me, lord?" Sesshomaru stated calmly, brushing a bit of dirt from his sleeve.  
  
Naraku lifted his head slightly, only enough to reveal his jaw line under the baboon mask. "She's not dead..."  
  
"I hadn't noticed."  
  
"Do not try to be smart with me." Naraku said evenly. "I could easily have you replaced as the leader of cell 24."  
  
Sesshomaru said nothing, but just regarded him icily.  
  
"And I see... the little one betrayed you too." Naraku shook his head. "Hasn't been a good week for you, has it Sesshomaru?"  
  
"Did you summon me to tell me off and slap my hand with a cane?"  
  
"Maybe later. I have something for you."  
  
Sesshomaru tensed as Naraku slipped a hand out from under his wrap and presented the other demon with a vial of thick red liquid, so dark it could almost have been black.  
  
"What is that?"  
  
"Demon essence... my essence." Naraku held it up further. "Take it, it doesn't have a mouth to bite you with."  
  
Sesshomaru took it with deliberate ease. "And what am I supposed to do with this?"  
  
"Be grateful. I sacrificed part of myself to create that..." Naraku told him. "Dip it in an arrow and shoot the girl with it... or do what you must to make the essence touch her skin."  
  
"Poison?" Sesshomaru arched an eyebrow. "That's rather cliché, don't you think."  
  
"Absolutely not." Naraku replied with the same calmness. "Besides... it is no ordinary poison. Once that essence touches mortal flesh it will change the essence of that mortal... to that of a demon."  
  
"You plan to transform her into a demon?" he narrowed his eyes at Naraku. "How would that work?"  
  
"Not a demon as such... but her natural human balance would be turned to that of a demon." Naraku shook his head at his own sheer brilliance. "Quite ingenious actually. You can poison her with that and no one would ever know. It won't change her physically or emotionally... only those who can read auras will sense the change."  
  
"But what would be the point in this?"  
  
"Her powers destroy demons... if she's a demon herself... she would be less inclined to act upon the prophesy. Since you seem incapable of killing her you shall use this on her. She will not complete the prophesy unless she wishes to die herself. Is she suicidal?"  
  
"Not at all."  
  
"Then it should work." Naraku hunkered down to sit on a rock by the cavern lake. "She will not sacrifice herself. She's too childish to be noble."  
  
"I agree." Sesshomaru tucked the vial into his shirt pocket. "I'll be going then."  
  
"You do that." Naraku watched him leave and got back on to his daily activity... watching the stalagmites and stalactites grow...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(A/N: Better make this clear: Naraku and co don't know that Kagome can't stop the prophesy even if she wanted to. They also don't know that Kagome will die anyway since they've only seen the edited version of the prophecy. So what they plan to do is pretty pointless... but it will have a point later. Anyway, next chapter - 'In the Blood' ^_^) 


	21. In The Blood

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or a dictionary right now because it got burnt @_@. So excuse any heinous spelling mistakes of long wirds.  
  
AN: I just saw the two trailers for the second movie of Inuyasha and had the shock of my life. Apparently Kagome 'kisses' Inuyasha (full blooded demon Inuyasha) to stop him going on a rampage or something and while this sounds too good to be true, they cut the trailer just before their lips met which could mean anything - which is frustrating but it did look promising. BUT, I don't believe they actually made it to meshing mouths, and if they did he would either forget later on when he goes back to normal (IF he goes back to normal *shrug* - he could die for all I know) or kill her... so maybe they did kiss? (At the time Inuyasha looked pretty eager to run away - I think Kagome was practically holding him down to kiss him)  
  
Anyway - I can't wait to see this movie now and the wait is going to kill me! I haven't even seen the first movie yet OR any Inuyasha anime... so it's going to be a while before I get a chance to see if this is all true - but I swear this isn't a lie because you can go check out the trailers for yourself on the official movie sight - though it's all the Japanese.  
  
This is the direct link to trailer that has the 'kiss' right at the end, if you're interested or can't be bothered searching through Japanese to find the right link:  
  
http://newcgi.toho-ad.com/asx/inu_new60_row.asx  
  
Type that into your browser up there and your media player or whatever should pop up and start to play it ^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Two Faced  
  
In The Blood  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"What do you think you'll miss most?" Kagome asked him as they walked side by side down the dirt track. And their idea of side by side nowadays was at least a five metre gap between then, causing them to both walk on the grassy verge on either side of the road.  
  
"Cockroaches." Inuyasha replied thoughtfully.  
  
"Noting the sarcasm." Kagome glanced over at him and saw his drawn expression. "Sorry... don't you want to talk about it?"  
  
"No - it doesn't bother me." Inuyasha replied quickly. "It's just... you seem pretty hot today."  
  
"Well thanks..." Kagome blushed.  
  
Inuyasha clucked his tongue and rolled his eyes. "Not that way! I meant literally you are hot because you're radiating heat!"  
  
"Oh..." Kagome nodded with a frown. "I see..."  
  
She looked slightly dejected, making Inuyasha feel bad. "But... just so you know... that saying works on both levels."  
  
Kagome didn't say anything, or give any indication that she'd heard him at all as she stared at the ground before her. Maybe he'd offended her again? But before he could dwell on that thought she spoke again. "You know what I'll miss most when I'm gone?"  
  
"What?" he stopped walking when she hesitated to move onwards.  
  
"Everything." She sighed. "Summer... summer evenings watching the sun set on mom's porch... she has great views down where she lives."  
  
"I'll miss chocolate."  
  
"I'll miss the mornings where you just get to lie in bed for those two extra hours in the morning... blissfully half asleep and so cosy..." Kagome smiled and continued to walk.  
  
"I'll miss... Monday night football on TV... I don't suppose anyone would record it for me."  
  
"You're not taking this seriously." Kagome stopped suddenly and turned to face him. "We're going to die in less than a week and all you can think about is sport?"  
  
"It's called hiding the erratic fear of dying behind humour." Inuyasha said dryly.  
  
"Oh..."  
  
"But you're right..." he sighed. "I'm not getting used to the idea yet."  
  
"Well get used to it, because..." she took a step towards him, forcing him to stagger back like she had her own personal invisible shield around her. "Because it's happening whether we like it or not."  
  
"You'll kill all demons..." he reminded her.  
  
"I know..." Kagome looked pained for a moment. "The only way to stop it would be to kill me..."  
  
"That wouldn't work. Your dad says that without you the Shikon will still exist... and without you become more defiled..."  
  
"And yadda, yadda, till it wipes out humans too... I know..."  
  
"Besides... I don't think anyone would put a price on your life if they knew you." Inuyasha said softly.  
  
"You did."  
  
"Mm..." he grunted and started down the slope on his side of the road, towards a pond.  
  
Kagome followed. "But now that you know me... you wouldn't kill me?"  
  
Inuyasha sat down heavily by the waters edge and pressed a hand to his head to try and suppress the headache. "I like you too much." He admitted, but saying it didn't really seem to express the full extent of his feelings. And he had no idea why...  
  
Kagome smiled happily and hugged herself as she sat down. "Same here."  
  
"You like yourself too much?" Inuyasha teased.  
  
"You know what I mean." She laughed.  
  
"You know..." Inuyasha glanced over at her conspiratorially. "Your father is onto us."  
  
"Oh dear..." Kagome suddenly went red. "How much does he know?"  
  
"That we apparently spent one passion filled afternoon together the same day he arrived back." Inuyasha grinned. "Miroku told me."  
  
"Oh god... did he chew you out?" Kagome winced.  
  
"Um... sort of..."  
  
"I hope you set him straight."  
  
"Um... sort of..."  
  
"What does 'sort of' mean?"  
  
"Um... no." he grinned over at her. "But he seemed cool with it. He thinks you're into Miroku for some insane, absolutely ballistic, stupid reason..." he watched her carefully. "Right?"  
  
She didn't miss his worried tone. "You jealous?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Don't be. Dad often gets strange ideas." She smiled and blew him a kiss with a sweet smile. "you know you're still my favourite boyfriend."  
  
"Boyfriend?" he blinked with surprise.  
  
"Oh come on... one of us had to say it." She smiled. "And granted we can't really do much of what the average couple can do... but... I wish we could. So I say that classes you as my boyfriend. Plus... you're a boy and you're my friend!"  
  
"You still trust me?"  
  
"Inuyasha - if I could I would fall back on you blindfolded and tied up to prove that I trust you." She said. "Trust me when I say I trust you."  
  
"I trust you."  
  
"I trust you too."  
  
"So I trust you're telling me the truth."  
  
"Truth is trust and I'm trusting you so that's the truth." She said simply with a solemn look, but when she saw his perplexed look she burst out laughing. "You don't have to say anything more."  
  
"I couldn't even if I wanted to." Inuyasha shook his head, still trying to follow what she'd said.  
  
It was when she turned back to face the pond and plucked a dandelion head from the grass beside her, did Inuyasha hit realisation with a sudden snap. Kagome was wonderful.  
  
She was happy... even when she was about to face death and destruction. She laughed around him... he hadn't realised it before, thinking it had only been her and Hojo... but she DID laugh with him, if not AT him. She was smart, witty, bursting with life and kindness that had rubbed off on him during their time together. Had this been any other girl, such as Kikyo... Inuyasha probably wouldn't have changed his mind about terminating her. But this was Kagome... sweet, innocent little Kagome who needed him as much as he needed her.  
  
He loved her.  
  
When he was with Kagome he felt like he'd found that little lost piece of soul... and when she went away, he felt incomplete, especially when they were separated on bad terms. She was great company... even now as they just sat, saying nothing at all, he felt comfortable. In the past if he was with a girlfriend he'd always felt that he should fill the lagging quietness with conversation - or more like the girl did. Kagome was just comfortable being around him... something those girlfriends hadn't always had.  
  
Kagome lifted the fluffy dandelion to her lips and blew to watch all the seeds scatter out across the pond with interest, watching them as they meandered a path through the light breeze to finally plummet into the water, much to her disappointment. "Oh darn it... didn't even make it to the other bank..."  
  
"Kagome?" Inuyasha said suddenly.  
  
"Yep?"  
  
"Um..." Inuyasha struggled for a way to break this into the conversation. "You know what I'll miss the most?"  
  
"Chocolate?"  
  
"No.  
  
"Football?"  
  
"No - I'm serious now." He scowled.  
  
"Then by all means tell me what you'll miss?" she turned her full attention on him, letting him know she was listening.  
  
"You."  
  
Kagome took a moment before breaking into a wide smile. "That's sweet. I'll miss you too, I guess."  
  
I guess? What was that supposed to mean? Inuyasha frowned slightly. "Cause I love you."  
  
"I love you too." Kagome smiled and went to pick another dandelion.  
  
Inuyasha cocked his head thoughtfully. No... that hadn't worked. She hadn't taken that seriously... she'd thought he meant the love for a friend... not the serious kind of love. It was one of those times he wished he could just grab hold of her hands since her attention span was very small - that way he could tell her exactly how he felt without worrying that she wasn't listening.  
  
"No, Kagome." He sighed like he was trying to explain something complicated to a little girl... which in some way he was. "Would you put the buttercup down and listen to me?"  
  
"Ok..." Must have been serious by that tone of voice he used, so Kagome did as she was told and turned to him fully with a frown. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing... wrong exactly." He wished he could get closer somehow... this wasn't the kind of thing you told someone at a distance where you had to raise your voice slightly. "Why would you say you love me?"  
  
Kagome smiled and shook her head like she didn't get him. "Because you're such a great friend to me. Even though you can't touch me you still stick around... that's more than a lot of my family would do. You protect me and you can be pleasant to talk to... providing you're in the right mood."  
  
"I'm sure there's a compliment in there somewhere..." Inuyasha scowled.  
  
"But that's why I love you. You're my best friend."  
  
"You shouldn't throw that word around so easily." he sighed.  
  
"Why not?" Kagome frowned now. "It's not like I don't mean it."  
  
"You - you love everything! You love your dad, you love Sango - you love demons!" he snorted and turned away. "You toss the word love out like confetti."  
  
"No I don't," Kagome protested, thinking he was treating her unfairly now. "It's not like you don't love those same things!"  
  
"But I don't!" Inuyasha growled. "I don't have parents to love, my brother's a bastard, the sunset you love is just a sunset and getting to lie in for a few extra hours is just being lazy."  
  
Kagome scoffed with disbelief. "Is there a reason to why you are degrading those things, or are you just off on one of your strops?"  
  
"No..." He took a deep breath. "I'm just trying to say that... I don't say the L word as easily as you... and when I say I love you..."  
  
Kagome didn't catch on so he continued.  
  
"I mean... I'm IN love with you." He said quietly, looking down.  
  
Kagome took a sharp intake of breath like she was about to say something, but no words were formed. For a while Inuyasha just watched the grass before him with amazing interest, before sparing a look up to see her expression. She wore a slightly confused expression and was staring at him openly.  
  
"You... you really love me?" Kagome whispered almost too quietly, but Inuyasha caught the words.  
  
"Not love... I'm IN love." Well now that he'd dropped that bombshell he wanted to get back on with life, so he stood up and started up the slope. "You coming back to the village?"  
  
"Uh... no..." Kagome shook her head. "I want some time alone thanks..."  
  
He shrugged, feigning indifference, and started back without her, heading to the village they'd travelled to from the Hotel, getting nearer to the airport even though they knew they wouldn't be flying anywhere any time soon. But it made Kagome feel better.  
  
On the outside he may have looked all easy-going and calm, but inside his emotions were all over the place. Why hadn't she said she loved him as well. Ok, maybe she had said it technically... but not the kind of love he was talking about. Had he expected her to jump up and shout her love right back the minute he'd told her? Maybe... But there wasn't much else they could do. They were still restricted to keeping their distance - which meant no passionate embraces, no fevered kisses or there would be burnt flesh to pay... as well as protective fathers to face.  
  
Inuyasha looked down at his hands as he walked back towards the village. Both hands were now bound up with crisp white bandages, testament to several accidents he'd had with Kagome recently. That girl stumbled so often these days that he had to catch her or risk her cracking her skull.  
  
But she hadn't said she loved him like he loved her... so what did that mean?  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
She was certain that this was the right girl this time. The fact that Inuyasha had called her Kagome was proof enough... unless both girls had the same name like they had the same face, which was doubtful.  
  
Kagura had held herself from attacking since Inuyasha was there next to her victim again. Last time she'd probably fancied her chances about being able to outrun him. But even though she'd had a massive head-start, he'd still caught up, overtaken and knocked her flying. She wasn't stupid enough to underestimate him twice. The rest of her cell all presumed her was the weakest, since he was a hanyou... but no one actually took time to realise who his father had been. The same demon had sired Sesshomaru... so how could Inuyasha be a weakling?  
  
But then the fool had left the pond and left his little lover unguarded. Big mistake.  
  
She sat at the bank staring out over the water with a vacant expression like she was deep in thought. Kagura smirked and pulled the vial of dark blood that Sesshomaru had given her, out of her folded kimono. She'd been lectured with detail on how to use it - just spill it on the girl's skin and the task would be complete. He'd only said this because he thought she was too incompetent to kill the girl... Kagura had plans of her own.  
  
She slowly drew an arrow from her sleeve and dipped the end in the blood. She quietly snapped the bolt into place on the crossbow and lifted it to aim at the girl. Crossbow wasn't her speciality, but it was the only way to complete the task without screwing up.  
  
She aimed and prepared to fire, before hesitating. Was it really going to be as easy as that? She could kill the girl right now without too much trouble... after all these years it couldn't be that simple.  
  
Suddenly Kagome's head snapped up and she cracked her gaze on Kagura's location exactly. For a moment she looked surprised before Kagura quickly positioned herself to fire. Kagome gave a gasp of fear and threw herself to the side seconds before the shot was fired. The arrow skimmed across the grass and struck a boulder behind where she had been sitting.  
  
With a curse Kagura threw the crossbow down. It was such an unreliable weapon that she decided then and there never to use it again. That had been her last arrow and now all she could do was overpower the girl and splash the blood on her.  
  
Kagome was busily trying to scramble up the slope to the road to make a run for it, but her speed was no match for Kagura and when she glanced over her shoulder she knew she had no chance but to stop and fight. So she did stop... and she turned.  
  
Kagura clasped the vial in her fist tightly and slowed her chase to a calm walk when Kagome turned. She smiled slowly as she approached, then she hit some turbulence. She staggered slightly as pain shot through her entire body, making her impulsively take a few steps back until the pain was gone. She looked up, a hand pressed to her head to stem the pain and realised it was coming from the girl. Such strong purifying powers... this was definitely the prophesised girl.  
  
With a slight curl of her lips Kagura started forward again, ignoring the pain to get at least within twenty metres of her. She started coughing when she got to ten metres and had to stop again. She brought a hand to her mouth as the metallic taste filled it, and brought it away to reveal the blood she'd coughed up. She gritted her teeth as she looked up at Kagome who was watching her with a mixture of fear and anger. Did the girl realise what she was doing? Or was she hurting Kagura deliberately... somehow... Kagura didn't think she had any control over those powers.  
  
"You'll burn in hell for eternity for what you will do!" Kagura spat blood onto the ground before turning and summoning her leaf to make a graceful exit.  
  
Kagome almost collapsed when she'd gone from sight. Her knees had been shaking so bad she'd had doubts they would hold her weight for much longer. With a shaky sigh she clutched at the Shikon jewel and was for once thankful of it power. Without it she'd be a dead duck now... then again, without it she wouldn't be in the situation to be a dead duck.  
  
Her eyes fell on the arrow that lay on the grass on the slope. It seemed to have blood already coating the tip - but it had missed, hadn't it? Kagome looked down at herself, checking for holes just in case, but she didn't appear to be bleeding.  
  
With a frown she bent down to pick it up, carefully by the end to avoid touching the sticky substance at the tip. She held it up for inspection before realising that the 'blood' didn't really look like blood... it was too dark to be real blood. Hesitantly she touched it with her other hand and rubbed it between her fingers. Wrinkling her nose she figured it felt enough like blood to be disgusting enough.  
  
She dropped the arrow and started back towards the village, cautiously looking around her for any more demons. Though she was sure if there were any, she'd sense them, but that still didn't ease her nerves. Glancing down at her hand again she stopped.  
  
"What the...?"  
  
The blood was gone from her fingers, like it had never been there. No stain, no moisture, nothing.  
  
Feeling thoroughly creeped out and wondering if her mind was finally failing her in her recent stresses, she carried on back to the village. But by the time the first few houses and buildings came into sight she was having slight trouble breathing. By the time she reached those first few houses and buildings she knew she was having definite trouble.  
  
Was she having an asthma attack or something?  
  
Kagome slowed and rubbed her throat as if trying to get the air moving, but it wasn't helping. She must have had an allergic reaction to something... maybe she had hay-fever - but that would make no sense because it wasn't summer anymore...  
  
"Hey Kagome!" Sango came strolling along. "Miroku just ate a whole bucket of ice cream in a contest with Inuyasha - you HAVE to see them now, they-"  
  
She stopped herself short when she saw Kagome seemed to be having trouble breathing. "Kagome?" she ran forward, and Kagome seemed to give up and fell, none too gracefully onto her behind, gasping for air. "Kagome! What's wrong?!"  
  
Kagome didn't have the air to breathe an answer and gestured wildly to her throat and chest as pain started to crawl through her insides and through her limbs. She didn't feel so good anymore...  
  
"Come on, Kagome... Don't stop here." Sango said in that slightly determined voice she used when she was worried. She bent down to help Kagome up and started to walk her towards the inn they were staying at.  
  
Kagome struggled to walk, even as Sango supported a lot of her weight, and she couldn't help wondering why all the bad things seemed to happen to her...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: Next chapter - 'I'm Sorry' and perhaps that will be me saying that... 


	22. I'm Sorry

Disclaimer: No one who wrote this or reads this owns Inuyasha... unless Rumiko Takahashi reads this... which I sincerely doubt.  
  
AN: Ok, I'm really tired of writing happy fics. What's a story without angst? So prepare to flame me for being evil... sorry...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Two Faced  
  
I'm Sorry  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Accept defeat gracefully, Inuyasha." Miroku tossed his empty ice cream bucket over to Inuyasha who had just finished his last mouthful. "You lost before we even started."  
  
"Well... I was only in it to do this!" Inuyasha promptly stuffed his bandaged hands into the cold bucket and sighed happily. "Pure bliss..."  
  
"Sore loser."  
  
"Actually... you're a sore winner, or you will be tomorrow when you wake up with indigestion and diarrhoea." Inuyasha smirked.  
  
"Lovely..." Miroku wrinkled his nose. "You're so vulgar."  
  
"That's bull shit."  
  
"Quite..."  
  
Suddenly the door slammed open and Sango ran in. "Quick - it's Kagome!" she panted and then ran out again. Miroku and Inuyasha glanced at each other before dumping their ice cream buckets and running after her.  
  
"What happened?" Miroku asked as he slowed to crouch by Kagome's side who hadn't had the energy to make it to the inn. Inuyasha stopped a short distance away, having to step back a bit as Kagome's little purifying field slowly grew larger.  
  
"I don't know - she just collapsed on me and she can't breathe." Sango said hurriedly, rubbing her face to rub away the tingles she felt. It was like she'd stepped into an electrical field around Kagome and the current was running through her.  
  
"Kagome, nod if she can hear me." Miroku told her sharply and she nodded quickly, still clawing at her throat.  
  
"Maybe she's having an allergic reaction?" Sango frowned with worry.  
  
Shippo, Rin and Mr Higurashi soon came hurrying out of the inn after Inuyasha and passed him on their way to Kagome. Inuyasha hated it that he couldn't go to her side and see what was wrong... but he had a strange feeling. Even through all the spiritual powers and the purifying magic, he could feel it... the presence of a demon... was she possessed?  
  
"Somebody get a doctor!" Kagome's father yelled angrily and grasped his daughters hand. "It'll be ok, Kagome, just take deep breathes and try to stay calm."  
  
Kagome ignored his advice. If she slowed down to take deep breathes she would suffocate. It was becoming a major effort to drag in one lung-full of air after another. It also didn't help that people were crowding in on her. Then she noticed something as she lay on her back, staring upwards.  
  
"The... sky..." she wheezed out, raising a weak arm to point towards the clouds. Everyone else glanced up in confusion and saw what she was looking at.  
  
The clouds had gone from droll grey to almost completely black and were clouding over the sun as they watched. And as if that wasn't enough, the moon was also moving in front of the sun in a solar eclipse...  
  
"The day of darkness..." Sango murmured.  
  
"But we're not ready yet!" Shippo yelled, almost in full panic.  
  
"Major Houshi - send a fax down to headquarters if you can - tell them that it's arrived!" Kagome's father ordered and Miroku wasted no time to carry out his wishes. Sango stayed behind and chewed her lip as she stroked her friend's hair.  
  
"It'll be ok, Kagome, you'll be ok, just hang on until it's over." Sango told her.  
  
"She'll die when it's over." Kagome's father said gravely.  
  
"What?!" Sango snapped a stare on him.  
  
Kagome angrily thumped his arm. "Thanks... a lot...!"  
  
"She can't die!" she looked down at the struggling girl. "You can't die - it wasn't in the prophecy!"  
  
"Yes it was." Her father said softly. "There's nothing we can do - the jewel is too impure to disappear. It'll kill all demons..."  
  
"Look... it's getting darker..." Rin pointed to the jewel that lay against Kagome's throat. She was right, it had changed from dark pink to almost blood red.  
  
"Shit..." Shippo ran a hand through his hair.  
  
"It's becoming defiled - Kagome - what happened?" Kagome's father pressed. "Did a demon touch it?!"  
  
Kagome opened her mouth to speak but couldn't spare the air to speak.  
  
Inuyasha finally hit realisation. "No - it's because she's touching it!"  
  
"What?" everyone looked round at him with confusion. Sango grew angry at once. "Oh come on - she's not contagious, stop milling about over there and come help!"  
  
Inuyasha ignored her. "She's defiling the jewel herself - she has demon blood in her veins! The jewels absorbing the evil... and she's purifying herself..." he stopped and took a deep breath. "She's in pain..."  
  
"I knew it..."  
  
Inuyasha turned sharply to see Kikyo coming up behind him with a hard expression. "What?"  
  
"You can't touch her can you? Because it hurts you." She cast a brief glance down at his hands. "What a pity."  
  
She didn't sound so convincing, so Inuyasha just turned away and watched what was happening.  
  
"How did this happen Kagome?" Sango asked, grasping the girl's other hand. "Is it true?"  
  
Kagome didn't know what to say, even if she could speak, all she could do was labour for oxygen and writhe in pain. She half wanted everyone to just leave her alone and stop talking at her, she wasn't in the mood... but she was afraid of being left alone.  
  
"At this rate that jewel is going to kill us all." Kagome's father said, coughing as he began to find it difficult being this close to Kagome. "This isn't good."  
  
"You think!" Sango snapped and made to grab the Shikon. "We have to destroy that thing!"  
  
"No - don't touch that!" Mr Higurashi shouted a little too late.  
  
A bang went off when Sango's fingers connected with the jewel and she screamed as she was thrown forcefully back. She cradled her scorched hand and glared at the smouldering jewel. Kagome was shaking her head as tears were starting to leak from the corner of eyes.  
  
"I don't... want... to die..." Kagome gasped, letting a few breathy sobs shake her frame.  
  
"Neither do we, honey." Her father stroked her cheek, ignoring the little jabs on pain he felt in his palm when he did this. "I don't know what we can do..."  
  
Miroku arrived back, out of breathe. "They got the message - they're sending helicopters and planes over right now."  
  
"A bit late aren't they?" Sango hissed with venom as she sucked her burnt fingers. "Stupid... lame ass... government pigs..."  
  
"What do we do?" Rin asked hesitantly, glancing at the rest of the crew that were hovering around the inn, too anxious to venture any nearer.  
  
"Go..." Kagome suddenly gasped.  
  
Her father shook his head. "Kagome - I don't think we should leave-"  
  
"Go!" Kagome said a little more forcefully. Her voice was barely more than a whispered gasp. "I can... purify it... myself! Go! Don't come near me - I don't want to hurt... any of you!"  
  
"Kagome-"  
  
"GO!"  
  
They hesitated before Mr Higurashi nodded at the younger people and they started to retreat back towards where Inuyasha, Kikyo and the soldiers were gathered.  
  
"You sure you can do this?" Mr Higurashi asked his daughter worriedly.  
  
She just nodded and clasped his hand tight before pushing it away with a strong hint that he should go too. He sighed in defeat. "At least let me take you inside."  
  
Kagome nodded. She was cold, and it was growing very dark by now that she was having trouble making out her father's face. He helped her to her feet and started to walk her towards the inn. The rest of the group parted to make way for them as Kagome's father led her back inside and into one of the vacant bedrooms. "You'll be ok?"  
  
"Yes..." she hissed in pain and closed her eyes momentarily before forcing them open with an equally forced smile. "You can go now, thanks."  
  
He hesitated only a moment before quickly exiting the room and closing the door tightly behind him. Outside he came upon a very anxious sight. Sango was taking comfort, crying in Miroku's arm who simply held her looking rather worried and slightly angry. But Inuyasha stole the show with his anger as he stomped up and down in the dark, pacing a groove in the ground. Kikyo watched him tightly, arms folded and fists clenched. She looked worried and pensive, while everyone else just stood not knowing what to do with themselves. There was no way they could help.  
  
Inside Kagome rolled up to sit up on her mattress and tugged at the Shikon on her throat. So she'd lied about trying to purify it... she was going to destroy it!  
  
She placed it on the wooden floor and grabbed the lamp, a difficult task when sun spots danced before her eyes and just summoning the energy to grab the lamp enflamed her hand with burning pain, but she didn't have much of a choice in the matter. She brought it down with a grunt against the small bead and did it again and again...  
  
But the Shikon no Tama was stronger than diamond... it wouldn't shatter under one measly lamp. If she still had those spiritual powers inside of her and had something sharp wooden and pointy then maybe she could shatter it... but no... She was officially screwed.  
  
"I'm... gonna die..." she clenched her fists and closed her eyes to fight the pain as she sank to the ground. "So... is Inuyasha..."  
  
She hadn't even had the chance to say goodbye... he could only stand by helplessly while she died slowly.  
  
She glanced out the window and saw nothing... it was so dark out there that she couldn't even make out the tree line in the distance, or the outline of the houses nearby. Yes... this was definitely the day of darkness... she was dying... the jewel was about to irrupt... and all she could think about was how much she was going to miss Inuyasha.  
  
She'd miss him more than her own family... her own flesh and blood. Did that mean she loved him more?  
  
Probably...  
  
And she was never going to get the chance to tell him that either.  
  
She cried out as another spasm of pain riddled her body and she curled herself into a ball to try and fight the loosing battle. The jewel that lay on the ground before her was turning black ever so slowly... Now she knew how Inuyasha felt when he was around her.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"Someone has to go check on her!" Inuyasha snarled at Mr Higurashi who clenched his own fists angrily.  
  
"Stop throwing a hissy fit Inuyasha and calm down!"  
  
"Calm down?!" Inuyasha growled. "We're all about to die and you're telling me to calm down!"  
  
He didn't like this. Usually when his life was in danger there would always be something he could do about it. Like run out of the way of that damn bus or fight that attacking demon for all he was worth. But when Kagome was the cause of the danger... he found that he couldn't run away and he couldn't fight it...  
  
"Nice to know you're so positive!" Miroku snapped.  
  
"We'll know if everything is ok when the sky clears!" Mr Higurashi growled at the younger boy. "Until then there isn't much we can do unless we want to make matters worse!"  
  
"There must be something we can do!" Inuyasha resumed his pacing. He could feel Kagome's energy even though he was outside and she was inside... it still hurt, but he wasn't about to move away. "She's your daughter! How can you abandon her!"  
  
"I'm not abandoning her!"  
  
"When will we know if we're all saved?!" Inuyasha snapped. "When we see the clouds clear and we aren't dead! We have like what?! Seven more seconds to live?!"  
  
Rin whimpered softly leaning against Shippo who was glaring at the ground.  
  
"Stop talking like that! You aren't helping!" Mr Higurashi shouted.  
  
"So what?! You're not helping either! It's not like words and talking is going to change the way things have turned out! I can't help that! I could never help that! I can't help anything!" Inuyasha lashed out at the nearest inanimate object, sending a pale of water smashing against the wall of the inn, close to Mr Higurashi's head who didn't even flinch. Inuyasha glared heatedly at him for a moment before resuming pacing again. "Useless...!"  
  
"Just because you can't protect yourself doesn't mean you should take it out on us!" Sango shouted at Inuyasha, taking a break from her crying to snap at him.  
  
"That doesn't bother me! It's because I can't protect Kagome now - and none of you idiots are helping her either!" Inuyasha walked up and punched a fist sized hole through the wall of the inn. "You're all just happily sitting around, waiting for her to die!"  
  
"And us to die - don't forget we'll die too!" Sango yelled back.  
  
Kagome's father ground his teeth. Inuyasha was not the kind of person you needed around in a situation like this. With him around he was bound to get everyone's spirits down and turn all those optimists into pessimists like himself.  
  
Suddenly Kikyo jumped to her feet and kicked the box she was sitting on. "That bitch! She'll kill us all if we don't do something!"  
  
Before anyone could really register what she'd said, she lunged towards the door of the inn and had thrown herself through it.  
  
"Stop her!" Mr Higurashi jumped to his feet as well, about to give chase along with Miroku... but Inuyasha was way ahead of them.  
  
He ignored the pain as he barrelled through the corridor after Kikyo who was amazingly quick on her feet. He swerved around the corner after her, narrowly avoiding hitting the wall and had to pause a moment to set his balance straight. But Kikyo had murderous intent... she was scared for her life and she wasn't going to let Kagome get away with it.  
  
"Shit..." Inuyasha cursed as he saw a silver blade flash from inside Kikyo's shirt. He threw himself after her and caught up to her the moment she reached Kagome's side.  
  
"Die now you murderer!" Kikyo screamed as she brought the knife down on Kagome. Inuyasha was quick to knock it out of her hands, sending it skidding across the floor to wedge itself under the bed. No sooner had he done that but Kikyo collapsed. The energy the tainted Shikon was giving out was becoming too much for her to handle and she'd reached her limit.  
  
Inuyasha knew he had to get out or he'd collapse too... but he couldn't move. He found himself wondering what the point would be. If he was going to die, why not die right beside the girl he loved... it wasn't like he could hide from a fate like this. He might as well die with some semblance.  
  
  
  
"Kagome..." he started to slump down beside her and reached out to touch her face, ignoring the blisters that lathered his skin at the merest touch. She stirred and looked up at him.  
  
She was shocked to begin with, and then angry. What was he doing here? Didn't he know that she was about to kill them all... he had to get away... But some selfish part of her wanted him to stay with her... she didn't want to be alone at a time like this. Her last time to be any place in the world alive...  
  
Inuyasha suddenly pressed a hand to his mouth as he began to cough up blood like Kagura had done. He stared fuzzily down at the dark red blood splattered across his bandaged palm and then glanced down to see Kagome was moving away from him, towards the Shikon jewel that lay on the ground, glowing darkly. "What are you-"  
  
"I can't... let you die..." she breathed grasping the cursed bead and holding it close to her chest and closing her eyes to concentrate. "I'll purify it..."  
  
"You won't be able to... it's too defiled..." He gripped a hand to his stomach as a sensation similar to claws ripping at his insides found him.  
  
If it absorbed her pure energy then that would be enough to purify it. She knew she could do it... she'd die as a result but if it meant keeping Inuyasha safe then she was willing to let it absorb her life force.  
  
After a few moments she stopped trembling and a great numbness washed over her entire body. She was probably beyond pain by now... just letting it absorb her.  
  
"Kagome..." Inuyasha said warily as he began to understand what she was doing. "Don't do that! Stop it!"  
  
"Sorry..." she murmured softly. "I have to... let it take me..."  
  
"No!" Inuyasha forced himself up and began to crawl closer to her. "Don't let it absorb you!"  
  
"I have to..."  
  
"You don't!" Inuyasha snapped angrily, clenching his teeth as he found her side and gripped hard with his hand, ignoring the blinding pain that surged through him. It felt like his blood was on fire but he didn't care... he would suffer a thousand deaths for Kagome. Didn't she understand that yet?  
  
She was going to let it absorb her human essence and die for him and everyone else... maybe... but he had a better idea.  
  
Kagome jolted up as the Shikon jewel was suddenly snatched from her hands rather abruptly. She focused uneasily on Inuyasha who had the jewel squeezed in one palm and the bed post in the other. It was taking all he had not to cry out from the pain.  
  
"No!" Kagome lunged at him, trying to snatch the jewel back, hitting blindly at him to keep it from him. "Give it back! Don't do this to me!"  
  
"Two can play at this game!" he gave her a shove that sent her toppling back with a cry.  
  
He let the bed post go and started to crawl as best he could away from Kagome, to put as much distance between himself and her as possible. He glanced down at the jewel in his hand and stopped. it was absorbing his own energy to purify itself now and was turning a better shade of light pink.  
  
Kagome was quick to recover and quickly crawled after him. "Don't! Give it back, Inuyasha!"  
  
"Kagome!" he felt her grab onto his ankle and twisted away, rolling away from her with the last of his strength. He stopped as he thudded against the wall and slumped onto his back. With a sigh he felt a strangely warm sensation flood his body... slightly painful but it washed away the rest of the pain, so it was pretty much relief. The weight of the Shikon in his palm vanished and white blinded his vision.  
  
Kagome had been about to launch herself at Inuyasha again when the Shikon disappeared and his hand, which had clutched it, went limp. "Inuyasha!" she was about to reach him when a flash of light went off followed by a resounding crack that seemed to splinter the air in the small room. Kagome gasped and smacked her hands to her ears as some invisible force caught her and threw her against the far wall, holding her suspended above the ground for what seemed like an eternity. She couldn't see anything, white just swamped her vision and a horrible droning noise echoed in her ears.  
  
Then it all stopped in an eye blink. Her sight returned the moment that pressing force released her and she fell to the ground with a cry and a thud. For a moment her sense were scattered around, and she slowly pushed herself up as she gathered them together again.  
  
When she finally remembered what had just happened, and who she was along with where she was, she slid her gaze slowly across the floor to where Inuyasha lay... or where he had lain... he was gone...  
  
In his place lay someone she'd never seen before...  
  
"Inu... Inuyasha..." Kagome slowly pushed herself up to her feet. She was no longer in pain, though her throat hurt like hell from having strained it. But right then she was more focused on the boy who lay perfectly still on the other side of the room.  
  
She quietly slipped forward and crouched beside him. It was definitely Inuyasha... but he had changed. His ears had gone and his white hair had gone... he looked... like a perfectly human version of himself.  
  
"You fool..." she whispered, feeling hot tears prick her eyes. "You purified yourself!"  
  
She hesitantly touched his cheek, worried she'd hurt him, but without the presence of demon blood in his veins he didn't feel a thing. But without the demon blood in his veins there was nothing to keep him alive anymore. He felt cold to the touch and a sob welled up in her throat. "You idiot..." she bowed her head and allowed hot tears to run down her cheeks and splash against his blood stained shirt.  
  
A feather light touch to her cheek had her head snapping up in surprise. He was still alive... but he had to be in terrible pain from that expression he was wearing. "Kagome..." he managed to cough out, along with a trickle of blood. He was bleeding internally again. He may have just survived that as a hanyou... but as a human...?  
  
"Are you ok?" she whispered hurriedly, gripping his shirt with her fingers.  
  
"Stupid question." He cringed outwardly and tried to shift.  
  
"Don't get up! I'll get help!" she made to get up and run but his grip on her wrist stopped her and she looked back down.  
  
"I love you... I'm sorry..."  
  
He closed his eyes and his head slowly lolled to the side, his hand going slack around her wrist. Kagome pulled her hand back sharply and stared at him through watering eyes.  
  
She expected him to move at any moment... and she waited... waited for some kind of sign... "No..." she said weakly and shuffled closer. "No... Inuyasha?... Inuyasha, open your eyes..."  
  
She shook his shoulders slightly... but he didn't move... "Inuyasha! Get up!" her voice began to break as she bordered on hysterical. "No! I love you! I love you! Please don't leave me - I don't wanna be alone! Inuyasha - don't go!"  
  
She threw her arms around his neck, trying to offer some of her warmth to his growing coldness. "Don't go... don't go... please..." she pressed a soft kiss to his cheek and grimaced as a tear splashed down onto the skin she'd kissed. "I love you..."  
  
"Kagome!"  
  
She didn't move as Sango barged her way into the room followed by Miroku and everyone else. They slowly took in the scene that lay before them. Kikyo, unconscious or dead, lying beneath the window and Kagome crushing herself to Inuyasha... a human Inuyasha who looked fairly bashed up.  
  
Sango stepped forward tentatively and touched Kagome's shoulder gently. Kagome just gave a soft sob and shrugged her off. She wanted to be alone with him for just one minute, but they just weren't allowing it. When Kagome shrugged her off she slowly took Inuyasha's hand instead and turned it over to check for a pulse. She had to unravel the bandages first and carefully pressed two fingers to his wrist. After a few moments she slowly laid it back down by his side and turned to the others.  
  
"He's alive... but his heart his weak... I don't think... I don't..." her voice faltered as she bit her lip.  
  
A long silence stretched on, broken eventually by a soft buzzing sound that echoed in the distance. The sound grew louder until it eventually became a droning roar of helicopter propellers.  
  
Mr Higurashi moved forward and placed two firm hands on his daughter's shoulders. "You have to let him go... so the people can take care of him now..." he said softly.  
  
Kagome was reluctant to let go, but eventually she complied and leaned back to look down at him. He looked so... pale and lifeless...  
  
Across the room Kikyo started to sit up as sunlight began to spill from the window above her. She glanced at the scene before her and then out the window. It was light again and they were still all alive... they were saved... But also outside she could see men in fatigues jumping down from helicopters that had landed in the middle of the village, the gust of air from the propellers causing people to keep their distance.  
  
"They'll kill him if they get him..." she said slowly.  
  
Sango glared spitefully at her. "You - you nearly killed us all!"  
  
"What did you say?" Miroku asked Kikyo, ignoring Sango's angry outburst.  
  
"They'll kill him... he's a traitor... he's committed treason of the highest degree... they'll execute him for this." Kikyo looked down at Inuyasha. "If he isn't dead already."  
  
They didn't understand what she meant, only Kagome did, and she could only bow her head and cry silently into her hands as her shoulders shook.  
  
Suddenly General Taijiya appeared in the doorway. "Is it done?"  
  
Sango recognised his voice at once and turned quickly. "Dad!" she threw herself into his arms with relief. Everything would be alright now...  
  
After a few moments of embracing he gently pushed her away and stepped forward. "Is the prophesy complete?"  
  
Mr Higurashi nodded. "But it failed."  
  
General Taijiya's gaze fell on the still boy that lay on the ground before them. It could be none other than Inuyasha, and his gaze hardened angrily. No doubt he was responsible in some way for the failure... "Get him!"  
  
Men suddenly entered the room behind him and grabbed Inuyasha, none too gently and started to drag him out. Kagome gasped. "Stop it! He's hurt!"  
  
"He's unconscious, he won't feel it." The general said shortly. "We'll take him back up north and put him on the executioners block tomorrow... he'll be lucky if he dies on the way."  
  
"What are you doing?!" Sango cried. "Can't you see he's injured - what are you playing at!"  
  
"You wouldn't know." Her father shook his head. "He's a part of cell twenty- four - the same guy who attempted to assassinate Kagome several times and delivered her into the hands of the enemy only a few days ago. She was lucky to escape."  
  
Everyone stared at him, completely speechless, their whole view of Inuyasha slowly being tipped on it's head. they all turned to Kagome who was staring dully at the floor.  
  
Miroku was the first to speak. "Why didn't you say something to us?" he asked quietly.  
  
"Let her be." The General said softly. "No doubt he threatened her to silence..."  
  
Kagome choked on a sob that welled up suddenly and her father was by her side at once to hold her tightly. "Shh... it's ok... it's ok now..."  
  
"No it's not..." Kagome whispered into his jacket.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: Well seeing as you all probably hate me, I'll go crawl under a rock. Next chapter (yeah, I'm not done yet) - 'Hateful Goodbyes'. 


	23. Hateful Goodbyes

Disclaimer: don't own any of the characters in this fic... except for Kenji... and I killed him, so I suppose I don't own anyone anymore.  
  
AN: I'm back from under my rock and I've brought a new chapter with me as a peace offering. Only one more chapter after this one I'm afraid. And by the way everyone - Stop nit-picking! The story isn't over yet and you're already going at me for making the prophesy wrong - I haven't - because I haven't finished yet... jeez...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Two Faced  
  
Hateful Goodbyes  
  
(do I come up with the cheeriest titles or what?)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Mr Higurashi looked up from his lap top as his daughter came stumbling into the hotel suit, dripping from head to toe in tomato juice and scratched up to hell with rose thorns. A strange feeling of déjà vu came over him as thirty or so more bodyguards filed in behind her.  
  
"Dad!" Kagome whined. "I wanna go back to the Southern territory..."  
  
"You weren't saying that two weeks ago." He told her.  
  
"Two weeks ago everyone loved me!" Kagome snapped, though she was close to tears. "Because they all thought I was going to kill the demons - and I failed and now they all hate me! And those who hated me all love me now! It doesn't make any sense - I can't win no matter what I do!"  
  
"Princess..." he just sighed.  
  
"I thought you said all this would come to an end with the prophesy was over!" Kagome croaked. "It hasn't! How long is this supposed to continue?! How come this infallible prophecy failed, huh?!"  
  
"Kagome, it didn't."  
  
"What?" Kagome blinked. "Then where are all the dead demons?"  
  
"It hasn't failed, because it hasn't happened yet." He took off his glasses as he looked at her. "Yesterday was a coincidence... the real deal is yet to come."  
  
"But... but... I was dying... but Inuyasha saved me - he stopped the prophesy!" Kagome protested. "Everything that that script said would happen, happened yesterday! It's over!"  
  
"Did you die? Did the demons die? Was the world cleansed?" he shook his head. "The prophesy didn't work out... it always works out so it can't have happened yet."  
  
"But..." Kagome faltered. "When will it come then?"  
  
"When you lead the world into light." He suddenly smiled and crooked his finger. "But I've just had a wonderful revelation..."  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"Do you think he can hear us?" Sango asked idly as she plaited her hair.  
  
"I hope not... otherwise he'll probably tell everyone that we were making out in the closet." Miroku said, tapping his fingers on his arm rest in time to the beeping of the heart monitor.  
  
"Oh, you'd just hate that wouldn't you. Wouldn't want anyone to know you're being a legend again." Sango said sarcastically and glanced back at Inuyasha's pale, perfectly still face. "If he could hear... he'd probably tell you that you were an idiot for thinking he would even wake up to tell people that..."  
  
"You're right... Mr Negative would say that wouldn't he?..." Miroku sighed and let his head loll back. "How long do we have to sit here?"  
  
"Until Kagome gets here." Sango huffed angrily.  
  
"Right, right." Miroku placated her quickly. "Just asking..."  
  
They lapsed into silence again and Sango frowned with worry. "I can't get used to this... he looks like an entirely different person..."  
  
"Yeah... his whole hair and ears..." Miroku cocked his head. "Check if his eyes have changed colour."  
  
Sango leaned over and pulled at Inuyasha's eyelashes. "Yep... they're like yours."  
  
"Cool."  
  
"Mm... and without that perpetual scowl on his face he looks like..." Sango struggled for something. "Someone who Inuyasha might kick the crap out of..."  
  
"He might kick the crap out of you for saying that when he wakes up." Miroku commented.  
  
"Yeah right - I could take him even when he was a hanyou." Sango grunted. "He'd have no chance."  
  
"Right..." Miroku rolled his eyes and was about to add something more when the door opened and Kagome slipped in.  
  
"Hey..." she said quietly in greeting before turning quickly to shut the door before anyone else could enter... anyone like her bodyguards. "Will you just go mug some Mafia goons!" she snapped through the crack in the door. "I'm with my proper bodyguard now so beat it!"  
  
"Is it raining outside?" Sango asked, noting that Kagome's hair hung in wet tresses around her shoulders.  
  
"No - just had to take an emergency shower." Kagome explained and slid her gaze to the bed. She visibly swallowed and flexed her fingers. "Has anything happened?"  
  
"No... he's still asleep..." Sango said. If there had been anything positive to tell Kagome she would have said so, but the doctors didn't think he would pull through in his present state... and that was something she didn't want to tell Kagome. But then again, she didn't really need to.  
  
"Ok..." Kagome sighed and sat on the empty chair closest to Inuyasha's bedside and went still as she watched his face. Sango pursed her lips and looked at her watch.  
  
"Let's go get some coffee, Miroku." She announced, standing up.  
  
"Don't like coffee." He responded.  
  
"Then let's get some Tea."  
  
"Yuck..."  
  
Sango clenched her fists. "Let's just go, alright?!" she snapped and all but shoved him out of the door. No point being subtle with Miroku around.  
  
Kagome sighed when she was finally alone with Inuyasha and thought about what she was supposed to do now... She guessed she should probably talk to him.  
  
"Um... Hi..." she said with a slight reply. What, did she expect him to reply? She shook her head at her own silliness and tried again. "Um... if you can here me... blink... or sneeze or something..."  
  
Inuyasha remained completely still and unresponsive. But that didn't exactly mean he wouldn't hear her. Kagome sighed and decided she had nothing better to do... besides... it helped to talk things out of her system, even if the person she was talking to couldn't respond.  
  
"I... I talked to dad... he wasn't happy about what you did... but I made him realise that you aren't that bad..." Kagome cringed. "But he still really doesn't like you anymore..."  
  
She sighed and twined her fingers with his limp hand. "He talked to the other people... and you aren't going to be executed anymore..." Not that it made much difference anyway. Her head drooped and she brought his hand up against her chin. "If you could just wake up you could enjoy your freedom and-"  
  
As if on a cue, Inuyasha suddenly sucked in a breath and the heart monitor skipped a beat or two. Kagome's heart also started to thunder in her chest as she watched him with rapt attention. He was waking up!  
  
After almost a full minute Inuyasha found the will to force open his eyes and glanced at her blearily before closing his eyes to relax again. "K'gome..."  
  
"Hey..." She smiled happily and squeezed his hand. "How do you feel?"  
  
Inuyasha didn't answer. His head tossed to the side and stirred restlessly as if he was deliberately trying to wake up properly, but his mind was ahead of his body and he was still only semi-conscious. His movements caused his oxygen mask to slip off slightly, going askew. Kagome quickly righted it with her free hand. "Careful... you're not awake yet."  
  
Inuyasha drifted off again as Kagome reset the mask and it took a few minutes before he began to rouse again. "Is it over?" he slurred, making her look up at him.  
  
Kagome nodded and smiled. "Yeah... it's over... it's all ok now..."  
  
Inuyasha's eyes were still closed as he sighed and tried to push himself up. Kagome deliberately forced him back down, worried at how easy it was to just push him back down. "Don't do that, you're injured badly, Inuyasha."  
  
"How...?" he managed to rasp.  
  
"How what?"  
  
"How badly?"  
  
For a moment Kagome contemplated on sugar coating it for him... avoid telling him the truth in case she might worry him and turn him to an early grave. But she knew Inuyasha wasn't a wimp... he could handle it...  
  
"The doctor says... half your original volume of blood has gone... your demon blood. Mine's gone too... I'm normal again." Kagome swallowed. "And all the human blood you have left is halved as well because of all your internal bleeding and flesh wounds. You have serious blood loss..."  
  
"No kidding..."  
  
"Don't try and be funny right now, it's not working." She told him bluntly, but still with a smile. "The doctor honestly doesn't think you'll survive the night..."  
  
Inuyasha blinked open his eyes for a moment, tried to focus on her, failed, and closed his eyes again with a slight frown.  
  
"But you have to prove him wrong, right?" she chided, jiggling his hand slightly. "Right?"  
  
Inuyasha turned his head away slightly, not wanting to face her anymore.  
  
Kagome was about to go on when a muffled shout from outside stopped her. She glanced towards the door as a loud thud sounded, followed by a series of muffled curses and even more thuds. Kagome stood slowly and started towards the door, but started as it was thrown open before she could reach it. For a brief moment she froze, searching to recognise who had just entered, until she gasped in remembrance. It was Yura...  
  
"It's not over - you'll still kill us." Yura stormed forward as Kagome quickly backstepped. "If I make you demon you won't do it - and you won't be able to purify yourself again!"  
  
She screamed this as she tugged a vial of the black blood from within her shirt. Kagome spotted it at once and held her hands up. "No! Somebody! Help me!"  
  
She wasn't even going to try and take on Yura, she wasn't a complete idiot, her best bet were her lame bodyguards. Just as Yura pulled her arm back to slosh the blood over Kagome, the bodyguards burst in the door and launched themselves at Yura.  
  
Kagome squeaked as the blood splashed towards her as Yura's arm jerked when she was tackled. She dived to the side and avoided being hit by the dark sticky substance by a matter of millimetres. It splattered against the floor, and Kagome stared at it a moment before glancing back up to where Yura was being dragged from the room.  
  
"You fucking bitch! You deserve each other! Both of you - rot in hell!"  
  
"Oh dear!" Kagome yelled after her as they dragged the screaming demoness from the room. When they were gone, and Kagome had sufficiently calmed down, she looked down at the stain of dark blood on the linoleum floor before moving to sit back down by Inuyasha. "Crazy cow..."  
  
Inuyasha roused slightly as she sat down, and she noticed vaguely that his heart beat monitor was beeping a little fast. "You ok?" she asked with a smile, gripping his hand tightly which didn't respond.  
  
Slowly Inuyasha shook his head and she frowned at him. "What's the matter?"  
  
"I hate this..." he whispered, barely audible through his oxygen mask. His breath misted up the insides, obscuring her sight.  
  
"Hate what...?" she cocked her head slightly.  
  
"This... I'm weak... it's pathetic..." he managed, awake enough now to open his eyes to fix a gaze on her. "I used to look at you... and thank god... that I wasn't like you..."  
  
Kagome's breath caught in her throat.  
  
"I guess I still am..."  
  
Kagome's mouth worked for something to say... but came up with nothing. When the silence stretched for quite some time, Inuyasha broke it. "The prophesy isn't over...?"  
  
Kagome looked up at him guiltily. He'd obviously just heard Yura's outburst. "It was a coincidence... the day of darkness... it's tomorrow..."  
  
Inuyasha closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, like he was having slight trouble breathing regularly. "I failed to protect you..."  
  
"No." Kagome shook her head quickly. "You can still protect me."  
  
Inuyasha just shook his head wordlessly. Kagome's eyes pricked with tears. "Why? Is it because you hate me? What I am?"  
  
Inuyasha didn't even twitch, giving no indication that he had heard.  
  
"You hate me because I'm human - like you are now?" she pressed, finding it hard to swallow past the lump in her throat. But she valiantly managed to suppress the wobble that threatened her voice.  
  
"I hate... what I am..." he said in a whisper she didn't really catch. "I don't want to live like this..."  
  
Kagome leaned forward slightly, gripping his hand to her cheek rather tightly. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"I don't want..."  
  
"To live?" Kagome gave up on her effort not cry, and her voice wavered as she spoke in a slightly shrill tones. "No - you said you wouldn't leave me - you promised!"  
  
"Sorry..." he sighed, eyes still closed.  
  
"Don't say that... I love you..." She kissed his hand, holding it tighter like if she did she might be able to hold him back with her.  
  
"I know..."  
  
His hand slipped from her grip the moment the heart monitor starting to flat line with a continuous, piercing sound. He sighed out his last breath and went limp.  
  
"Inu..." she gave up half way through his name and ran towards the door. "Help! He's flat-lined!"  
  
The response was instantaneous. Doctors and nurses suddenly scuttled from their business to run to their room and quickly pushed past Kagome on their way to the bed side. Kagome tried to follow but two of the nurses held her back firmly, restricting her.  
  
"Inuyasha!"  
  
"Get the defibrillator!" one of the doctors called, even as the machine was being wheeled in. once it was beside the bed he grabbed the two panels as a nurse tugged Inuyasha's hospital gown down to smear gel across his chest and slap down two defibrillator pads. "Charge at two hundred..."  
  
A whining noise filled the pause of shuffled and hurried movement. Until the doctor placed the panels down onto the pads. "Clear!"  
  
Everyone leaned back as Inuyasha's entire body bucked under the panels, his head lolling to the side as it settled back down.  
  
"Charge at four hundred." The doctor ordered.  
  
Kagome pressed a hand to her mouth as the orders were issued and another jolt convulsed Inuyasha's body. She was repeating a small chanted prayer under her breath as the charges increased.  
  
"Six hundred." The doctor charged the machine. "Clear!"  
  
Nothing happened.  
  
"And again!"  
  
Still nothing happened, and this time the doctor paused a moment before reaching back to switch off the defibrillator. Kagome held her breath.  
  
The nurse suddenly flicked th heart monitor off and the room plunged into eerie silence. The doctor glanced down at his watch and sighed. "Time of death... thirteen twenty seven..."  
  
Kagome suddenly choked on a rather violent sob and tore herself from the nurses' grip. The rest of the people in the room looked up as she fled and just sighed to themselves.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: Ok, this took ages to write, even though it's shorter than average. But anyway, I have two different ideas for the ending in the next chapter. Happy or Sad? Which do you think? 


	24. The Day of Darkness

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Do you really need me to tell you that on the very last chapter? ¬_¬  
  
AN: Anyway - the votes were unanimous - SAD ending it is! No, you all said happy ending so I've taken what you've said into consideration ^_^. I have to say I like happy endings too - it makes you feel really good inside for the rest of the day. So I probably won't break old habits this time... but one day... one of my stories will be sad!  
  
So this last chapter will be extra, extra long, but I don't think you'll mind that ^_^. Be thankful I didn't decide to split it up into two separate chapters, I don't think it would have worked if I had done that.  
  
Ok - so here I present the last chapter of my longest fic yet! Ta-daa!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Two Faced  
  
The Day of Darkness  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
It had all been a wild goose chase... all from the start. One crazy loon had been so cryptic to fool some of the most genius minds in the country, including Kagome. The solution had been right under her nose all the time...  
  
And because of this one crazy old man... Inuyasha was dead...  
  
There was a small knock at the door, causing Kagome to just bury her head into her pillow even harder. She wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. After a few moments of getting no answer, Miroku opened the door slightly and stuck his hand through, holding a Doctor Pepper bottle. "Want some sedative?"  
  
Kagome peeked out before dropping her head again. "Go away."  
  
"Don't make me go in there and give this to you." Was his reply.  
  
"I don't want it! Pepper always makes me happy-"  
  
"So it's morphine, not sedative - so sue me!" he opened the door completely and Kagome tensed up rather rigidly. He padded up to the bed and with a hiss, opened the bottle and held it out. Kagome refused to budge.  
  
"You can't cry in here forever."  
  
"Yes I can." Kagome's voice wobbled. "And who says I'm crying?"  
  
Miroku placed the bottle on the beside table and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "You must be - otherwise Sango wouldn't be crying too."  
  
Kagome hunched against her pillow harder. "Just go away."  
  
"Not until you take a happy sip of the old Doctor P." he told her firmly.  
  
"Go away and I will."  
  
"Why not just give it a sip now and put my mind at ease."  
  
"Because."  
  
"Because what..."  
  
"My face probably looks horrible and I don't want you to see it." She said with a slight pout in her tone.  
  
Miroku rolled his eyes. "You can't be much worse than how Sango looks - she's balling her eyes out downstairs, your dad didn't trust her enough to send the Doctor Pepper with her..."  
  
"But then again he doesn't exactly trust you either." Kagome pointed out.  
  
"Meaning what exactly?" Miroku huffed indignantly.  
  
"Nothing at all." Kagome said shortly.  
  
He sighed and suddenly sat down on the bed, making it bounce for a moment. "Just sit up and take a sip." He held out the drink again.  
  
"No."  
  
"Sip it!" he barked in such a military like command that she had to grudgingly obey.  
  
She sat up slowly and ran her hands over her face to try and clear away some of the wetness on her cheeks. She glanced quickly at Miroku who was smiling. "If Inuyasha was here he would say you were beautiful..."  
  
This obviously hadn't been the right thing to say, because after a few beats she suddenly started to break down again and latched onto his shoulder to hide her face again. Miroku, at a loss, just patted her shoulder, mindful not to try and cop a feel, especially at a time like this.  
  
Eventually Kagome managed to get control of herself and pulled away, her breathing shaky and uneven. "I'm ok... you don't have to stay with me."  
  
Miroku had to keep from sighing with relief. One weepy Sango was about as much as he could handle. He stood up and moved towards the door, before remembering the message that Mr Higurashi had sent up with him in the first place. "Your dad says that you need to pull it together by tonight... you have to make that public appearance... it's the day of darkness, remember?"  
  
"I know..." Kagome sniffed and dashed at her eyes. To her, it was dark because Inuyasha had died the day before. Sod the prophesy...  
  
"Can you handle it?" Miroku asked blatantly.  
  
Kagome inhaled deeply, and for a brief second thought she could do it. Before common sense took over and told her she wouldn't be able to... "Yeah, I can do it." She said anyway. Not that she had much of a choice.  
  
Miroku didn't believe her anymore than she did, and he hesitated a moment before leaving and shutting the door behind him. Kagome sank back down onto the bed and just wished the pain would go away. Maybe this was why she'd been so afraid to fall in love with him... because he WOULD hurt her eventually, even in this manner...  
  
She glanced up at the open bottle of Dr Pepper and bit her lip. It would take more than just a fizzy drink to make her happy again. She felt like she was going to be depressed forever.  
  
"Why?" she heard his voice.  
  
"Because you're dead... I'll never be happy again..." she replied, mumbling the words into her pillow.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I could never be happy with anyone else, the way I was happy with you." She sniffled, talking to that strange voice in her head that sounded so much like Inuyasha.  
  
A feather light touch brushed against her hair and she suddenly yanked her head up. But there was no one there, just like she'd known there hadn't been. Was she going crazy? Was that what heart break did to you? Hey, maybe she'd be lucky and get crazy enough to jump out the window and join Inuyasha over in the next world?  
  
With a moan she fell backwards and covered her eyes with her arm, just wishing that it could have been different...  
  
  
  
  
  
-_-  
  
  
  
  
  
"She'll be giving a speech at seven o'clock this evening." Sesshomaru informed the others. "That's when I expect the real prophesy will begin..."  
  
"So that's when I shoot her?" Kagura asked, picking up a rifle, glad to be back in the north surrounded by modern weapons again.  
  
"No - that's when Kouga shoots her." Sesshomaru snapped shortly, snatching her gun and handing it to the young man. "It's too important to have you mess it up this time AGAIN!"  
  
He stalked off and Kouga watched him go with confusion. "What's eating him?"  
  
Kagura just shot her a dirty look. "His little brother was just killed."  
  
"So?" Kouga shrugged, fiddling with the rifle. "Isn't that what he ordered you to do anyway?"  
  
"Yeah, but it wasn't like he was happy about it." Kagura scoffed. "They're still blood..."  
  
"Right and-" Kouga cut short as the gun went off in his hand, stabbing a bullet through the wooden floorboard, inches in front of Kagura's foot. She stiffed as Kouga froze with a horror filled expression. "Oops..."  
  
"Gimme that!" She snatched it off him and chucked it onto the table. "I'm gonna talk to Sesshomaru about this assassination arrangement..."  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"Oh, Nabika sure is in for it now..." the doctor in the morgue muttered as he led another crisp to his mouth as he stared at the tiny screen set on top of his filing cabinet.  
  
After a few minutes the screen started to go fuzzy as the signal started to fail. He heaved himself out of his chair with a sigh and moved forward to twiddle with the bunny eared aerial.  
  
"Come on..." he breathed... until a soft bump sound outside of the office distracted him. He froze suddenly and listened intently - and he could have sworn he heard that soft noise again.  
  
Hastily, he switched off the TV and walked towards the door and opened it slowly. He couldn't hear anything now... but he reckoned it was just some stupid kids playing tricks on the city morgue - it wouldn't be anything new, but he had to make sure that there wasn't any kids inside the morgue or there'd be trouble. Mostly from freaked out parents...  
  
The doctor walked around the tables containing a few of the recently deceased that he'd been autopsying, and headed towards the swinging door entrance. He poked his head out and looked around. Nope... no kids.  
  
A sharper bang made him start around, and he looked behind him quickly, scanning the room for the source of the noise. There was nobody there, save for dead people and dead people in cabinets along the walls. They didn't usually go bump in the afternoon...  
  
He edged forward into the room, looking around some more but finding nothing... though he was sure he could hear a soft shuffling sound somewhere. Maybe one of the kids and gotten himself lodged in one of the cabinets?  
  
Suddenly one of the cabinet doors to his right started to shudder as a loud repetitive banging started up. "Help! Get me out! I can't see! I'm claustrophobic!"  
  
"What the..." the doctor glanced sharply at the cabinet door and swiftly moved forward. He threw it open and pulled the draw table out. At once the kid lying on it scrambled off quickly.  
  
"That should teach you to mess around in the morgue!" he yelled after the boy that fled out the swinging doors... What a moron! Locking himself in a cabinet...  
  
He turned back to head back into his office when a loud thundering bang had him jumping out of his skin. Another kid?  
  
But no screams for help followed this banging, only a sound which resembled that of metal scraping or tearing against another metal - definitely within the cabinets, he was certain. But which one?  
  
He suddenly yelped as one of the cabinet doors rocketed off its hinges ahead of him and he scrambled back, uncertain of any force on earth that could manage a feat of strength like that. The bed slid out jerkily from inside the cabinet... and what was worse... the body inside was moving it...  
  
"Dear god..." the doctor fell to his knees and started praying.  
  
As soon as the bed was clear a boy with stark white, scruffy hair sat up so fast he almost toppled off the table, fighting the white sheet that had been covering him. He was breathing in short gasps and clenching a clawed hand to his chest, ignoring the biting pain those claws must have been causing. "What... What..." he panted, looking around wildly before spotting the poor doctor on the floor. "Hey..."  
  
"Please don't eat my brain!"  
  
"Ok..." Inuyasha nodded and started to slide off the table, making sure to grip the white sheet around his waist. "Where am I? Where is the hospital?"  
  
"God... you weren't dead after all... were you." The shaken man frowned. "But... you've been here for twelve hours... you didn't have a pulse or... or anything!"  
  
Inuyasha spotted a small splatter of blood on the crisp white sheet around his waist. Quickly, he looked himself over, trying to locate the wound, but found none. Besides, the blood didn't look like his own... it was too dark... almost black. "I was very much dead... I think..." Inuyasha whispered and looked around. "What day is it?"  
  
"Saturday..."  
  
"I gotta go!" Inuyasha started for the doors. "I need to find my clothes before I find her..."  
  
When he was gone, the doctor stared after him for a long time. He eventually got to his feet and went around turning everything off and fetching his coat and hat from the usual hook. He really needed a break from work - a nice holiday to China would do.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"You ready?" Mr Higurashi asked his daughter as she paced the hotel foyer.  
  
"No."  
  
"Just say you are anyway," he told her gently.  
  
"No point pretending anything, dad." She said in a tight tone, pivoting on her heel and walking back the other way, stopping, fiddling, and then turning again to repeat the actions in sequence. They were being delayed a few extra minutes because the building across the street hadn't been secured of snipers and assassins. A few of the body guards were taking longer than expected the sweep the building, but any time now they would be back with the all clear... then Kagome would have to speak to the public...  
  
She'd never been so nervous in her life. Mainly, she was afraid for her life. She'd never made an arranged appearance before people, it was usually just too dangerous. Standing in the open air for more than thirty seconds was just asking to be shot... but hopefully, if she said the right things within the first thirty seconds then maybe she wouldn't be killed by snipers.  
  
Hopefully...  
  
But then she wouldn't really care if she was...  
  
With that depression thought, she turned again and started to pace before her father, Sango and Miroku. Just then the doors to the foyer opened as a few of the bodyguards re-entered. But as soon as the doors open a deafening road of voices could be heard from outside. And as soon as the doors swung close again the voices disappeared. Sound proofing was a wonder these days.  
  
Kagome started to chew her lip as the bodyguards nodded to her father who in turn nodded to Kagome.  
  
"We'll come too." Miroku offered.  
  
"Any chance you could stand in front of me?" Kagome asked, not moving a muscle in the direction of the doors.  
  
"Well, then how would you speak into the microphone?" he pointed out.  
  
"Come on, Kagome, let's get this over with." Sango smiled gently. "Then this whole ordeal will be finished."  
  
"Ok..." she still didn't move.  
  
After a moment they realised she was scared. Butterflies were racing through her entire body, not just her stomach. The thought of facing so many people in the city... and this was no doubt going to be broadcast on live television. And the mere thought was enough to make her break out in a cold sweat.  
  
"Come on, Honey." Her father took her gently by the shoulder and guided her towards the doors. Kagome just limply let him lead her, seeing as she had no will of her own to do so.  
  
The doors opened and she almost reeled back from the near solid force of the noise. The volume of the sound hurt her ears, but her father seemed cool enough, and ushered her on and through the doors. It suddenly got much worse for Kagome, and her nerves suddenly went numb and her legs turned to jelly.  
  
"Oh god..." she whimpered so only her father could be heard as she was pulled down a corridor forged of bodyguards towards a podium that had been set up before the hotel entrance.  
  
She reached it and restrained herself from clamping her hands over her ears to block out the sound of screaming people. There were so many, she couldn't distinguish anything but just one amazing sound. She had no idea if they were hurling love and adoration, or just insults and disgust. Her father released her arm and stood off to the side of the podium, hinting that she had to move on her own now.  
  
For a moment she panicked and wanted to break down and cry. After her short stay in the south where no one knew her name, it was a sudden switch back to fame that sent her staggering. One step at a time she stepped up towards the podium, looking down at her father and her friends for encouragement. She took the final step and looked out before her as she reached the stand.  
  
The noise grew even louder, if that was possible, and all she could see was a sea of heads that stretched through the square before her, turning into a blur in the distance. That building the guards had been checking out that was 'opposite' the hotel, was practically half a mile away. Or maybe that was just Kagome's eyes dilating.  
  
She nearly collapsed then and there... but she managed to pull at some hidden strength to hold it together for a little longer. She needed to do this for Inuyasha... she owed it to him seeing as what this had cost him.  
  
Looking up she could see a huge plasma screen had been placed on the hotel building above her... and she could see the cameras all around her. Panic seized her even stronger than before. "Oh god... oh god... oh god... oh god..."  
  
Wait - she probably shouldn't be doing that. That screen was awfully big - everyone could probably see what she was mouthing.  
  
After a while the roar of voices died down to a gentle murmur, as everyone waited for her to speak. She looked down at the speech she'd been given by her father and suddenly found she had turned dyslectic... oh dear...  
  
Midway, in the middle of the crowd, Sesshomaru, Kouga and Kagura braced themselves to get ready. They were completely surrounded by several other cells under Naraku's orders. No petty humans were going to see through their little crowd and notice the weapons. Kagura had control of the rifle, but they had decided to wait a little while into the speech (for dramatic effect on the audiences watching). Kouga glanced at Kagura just in time to see her trade a meaningful look with Sesshomaru... he didn't understand what they knew that he didn't know.  
  
Meanwhile, Kagome was still dyslectic and after a few moments of nervous hyperventilating she took a deep breath and told herself that this was nothing new... everyone in the world had seen her face before, now they were all just seeing it at exactly the same time. So what? Did she want to come across as a nervous wreck.  
  
With a swift slash, she swiped the speech of the podium before her and gripped the metal platform tightly, looking up at the crowd and calming those dizzy butterflies with more force. After a moment she spoke with her opening line.  
  
"Um... Can I just ask... has anyone here ever actually met a demon... for certain?" she asked timidly, her voice unnerving her as it echoed around her.  
  
There was complete and utter silence. Kouga was about to raise his hand, but Kagura quickly slapped his arm with a sharp glare. But apart from that, no one said a word or raised their hands.  
  
With a slightly more relaxed feeling she went on. "Then... how can everyone be so sure demon's are entirely evil?"  
  
There was a sudden hum or noise as the people started to voice their own opinions and concerns about this statement. Kagome bit her lip before leaning closer to the microphone. "What I'm trying to say is... if you've never met a demon yourself than how can everyone be so sure that they all deserve to die."  
  
Kagura's grip on the rifle lessened slightly as an outraged roar sounded from the people who hadn't wanted all demons to die - the people who had hated Kagome with feeling in the start.  
  
"AND-" Kagome said quickly. "How can you be so sure, if you've never met me, that I'm evil and deserve to die."  
  
Sesshomaru rolled his eyes. "Oh please... I think I'm about to drown in my own tears."  
  
But this had quieted the crowd a great deal.  
  
"Can I just start by reading the prophesy?" she looked down at her dad. "The REAL prophesy."  
  
He stared at her stonily for a moment, obviously not pleased at her change of plans, but reluctantly gave in and fished the folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it up to her.  
  
"Ok..." Kagome cleared her throat, unaware that two people were slowly making their way through the crowd from the edges towards her.  
  
"The land has been and as will always be divided unto light and darkness, A wooden dam shall always be the divider, As always shall the dark ones divide the white and pure ones, Until is the day the darkness will rise within the darkest regions of the darkest ones. The grey one shall come bearing the name every man, woman and child has heard and sung. And into the darkest hours of the era the grey shall fall into darkness and prevail at the hands of evil... and so shall prevail unto freedom and shall prevail unto pain and until the darkest day arises... for that shall be the day all lands will be rid of darkness and evil, the world led into light and the world shall be cleansed of GREY and black."  
  
It took a moment for this prophesy to sink in. These people had never heard this version before.  
  
"And it's all a complete metaphorical mess that everyone in the world has interpreted wrong." Kagome said loudly.  
  
"What?" Sango started visibly. "Kagome?!"  
  
Kouga shook his head slightly. "Was this part of the plan... how can it be wrong?!" he glanced over at the other two members of his cell and found they were both watching Kagome intently.  
  
Kagome was on a roll now. "The man who wrote this piece of cra- I mean - this prophesy was a genius, but maybe this is a little too simple to get."  
  
"What the hell does it mean then?!" she heard someone yell close by.  
  
"It means..." she was about to go on when she saw a flash of white in the crowd. She trailed off her speech and feverishly scanned the crowd for another glimpse of white hair... but she found none. Her eyes were just playing tricks on her. So she continued when the crowd started getting impatient. "This prophesy makes no direct association with demons... just humans... this is all about us."  
  
No one got what she meant.  
  
"Ok, I can explain this better," she looked down at the paper before her. "The land has been and as will always be divided unto light and darkness, A wooden dam shall always be the divider... it means our people will be divided into good and bad... those who want demons dead, and those who don't. I haven't a clue what the dam divider is... I suppose... that's just a separation between these two types of human people."  
  
Once more, she received complete and utter silence as they processed this, everyone was hanging on her every word. Somehow that made her feel better, because at least they were all listening now.  
  
"As always shall the dark ones divide the white and pure ones..." she translated again. "I think this just means our leaders who want demons dead will always divide the ones who don't want them dead. The white ones won't be able to gather their own power, I guess."  
  
There it was again! Another flash of white in the distance. She managed to fix on the owner of the hair again, but only for a fraction of a moment as she lost sight of him again. She had to go on with the talk, otherwise she would look hesitant again.  
  
"Until is the day the darkness will rise within the darkest regions of the darkest ones." She looked up. "That's today. This is the darkest region... full of dark people out for demon blood."  
  
She received a slight grumble in general, so she quickly moved on.  
  
"The grey one shall come bearing the name every man, woman and child has heard and sung - that would be me." Kagome smiled slightly. "And into the darkest hours of the era the grey shall fall into darkness and prevail at the hands of evil... and so shall prevail unto freedom and shall prevail unto pain and until the darkest day arises..."  
  
She hesitated a moment.  
  
"No need to go into details... but basically, that is how you can literally take it." Kagome offered before looking down at the prophesy again. "For that shall be the day all lands will be rid of darkness and evil, the world led into light and the world shall be cleansed of GREY and black."  
  
Kagura let the rifle rise slightly, but noticed Sesshomaru's warning look.  
  
"This isn't a reference to killing demons at all. The day of darkness is the day the truth comes out and the world will have a little light shed on the situation. The prophesy is a scam in reality... it led us to believe that demons would die, and it created a war which has to be resolved today. So you could say that if this guy hadn't written this prophesy then this whole rift between demons and humans wouldn't exist as a result."  
  
"I can't follow this at all..." Miroku rubbed his temples.  
  
"But - now everyone knows. Hating demons is a false feeling - they'll be here for as long as us, so there is no point getting into wars with them." Kagome flexed her hands slightly, absently searching the crowd for white. "Black will be cleansed because it is an emotion, not a race of demons. Grey will be cleansed because it refers to the doubtful emotion - not me! This will disappear on the day of darkness - and people will learn to accept demons."  
  
Complete silence.  
  
"You have to." Kagome said into the stillness.  
  
Then suddenly someone spoke up. "How come you are grey and not white?" a woman yelled up.  
  
"I'm grey because I've experience demons face to face, unlike white people. I know what they can do... and I guess I'm not innocent enough to be a white. But I know where I stand. Some demons are good - some are bad, but we only seem to notice the bad sort. There are probably five hundred demons in this very crowd - good ones - who would never cause trouble."  
  
Everyone suddenly started looking to one another suspiciously.  
  
"Don't expect them to raise their hands or anything." She said as a gradual noise rose up again.  
  
Kouga was growing impatient. "Can we shoot her now?"  
  
"Wait..." Sesshomaru said curtly.  
  
"And I just wanna say... I retire from the position of being your messiah..." Kagome said with a sigh. "I've put up with this for sixteen years, and now it should be officially over. Little grey me will be going. Don't expect me to be hanging around."  
  
She was so close... he couldn't believe it. Inuyasha pushed his way through the crowd, none too gently in his rush to reach her. "Kagome!"  
  
"This prophesy was created to heal the rift between us all." Kagome went on, oblivious. "It was created for me to lead you all into the light... which I really hope it has done."  
  
A few beats of quiet followed, until a huge roar from the crowd broke out, startling Kagome. For a moment she thought they were angry, before she realised they were clapping and cheering her... everyone at the same time, for the first time. It made her feel strangely good inside.  
  
Inuyasha, however, was having slightly more frustration. "Kagome!" his voice would in no way carry over the cheering around him, and it was suddenly twice as difficult to move forward. He had to push with more force. "Kagome!!"  
  
But everyone was chanting her name now, and his voice made no difference. Then suddenly her eyes fell on him and all pleasant expression was wiped from her face as she stared at him and he stared back, holding her gaze.  
  
Sango touched Kagome's shoulder behind her, startling her out of her trance. Kagome looked at her briefly before looking back down at the crowd... no... he'd gone... she'd been seeing things again... but he'd looked so real...  
  
"You did it girl!" Sango cheered happily while Miroku just smiled proudly, just like her father.  
  
"I did it." She nodded, but why didn't she feel so great?  
  
"Well done Kagome..." Her father said, noticing that her eyes were peeled on the cheering crowds. What was she looking for?  
  
Inuyasha growled in frustration as he pushed closer, she was looking in the wrong place... typical of her. But he had to get a hold of her now or he might never get the chance to see her again. "Kagome you stupid bitch! Stop being so fucking blind and look!"  
  
Kagome had a natural radar for insults, or at least she must have done to suddenly zone in on him pushing his way forward. She gasped, finally realising that she couldn't be seeing things... Inuyasha WAS alive!  
  
She didn't dare take her eyes of him as she stumbled down the steps of the podium and headed towards the crowd. Her bodyguards stepped forward to try and stop her, but she just ran past them and pressed her hands against the clear plastic screen wall that had been set up to hold back the crowd. She could still see him... he couldn't be an illusion. "Inuyasha!"  
  
"Hang on!" he yelled back, pushing past the last few people and jumping over the low barricades to reach the plastic divider. He stopped and stared at her. "Hey!"  
  
"Oh my god!" she wanted to melt right through the plastic and fall into him, but that was impossible. She couldn't get any closer than this. Inuyasha pressed his hands against the plastic, directly over hers and grinned as he puckered his lips to kiss the wall. Kagome smiled, her entire being flooded with happiness and relief. She leaned forward as well and kissed the same place, almost imagining that she could feel the warmth of his lips.  
  
He pulled back and noticed she was crying, but that was ok because they weren't sad tears anymore.  
  
"Where did you go?!" she yelled, almost accusingly.  
  
"The morgue!" he yelled back and leaned his forehead against the plastic. "Kagome?"  
  
"Yeah?" she couldn't take her eyes of him, like if she did he would disappear again.  
  
"I love you!"  
  
Kagome felt a large lump rise in her throat as she started to cry with proper sobs. "I... I love you too!" she sniffed. "YOU BIG JERK!!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"You wait till I get my hands on you!" she slapped the wall, half angry, but half elated. "You scared me to death! I really thought that you... and then... that was just nasty of you!! And the things you said when you were human! Bastard!"  
  
Ok... maybe it was a good thing that they were divided. He didn't fancy his chances with her right then.  
  
Kouga's jaw was hanging somewhere in the same region as his feet. His keen eyes could see what most humans could not. "He's there... Inuyasha's alive..."  
  
Yura finally found her way to the small group, having made her way from the back. she leaned close to Sesshomaru and whispered so no one else would hear. "I did as you said - I took the blood and spilt it on him with the girl was distracted. He has demon blood in his veins again..."  
  
Sesshomaru barely nodded.  
  
"So... do we shoot them both now?" Kagura asked hopefully, fingering her rifle.  
  
He just shook his head. "They're doing to harm to us. Maybe the girl even helped us out a little...?"  
  
"But Inuyasha still betrayed us!" Kouga hissed. Kagura cuffed him round the ear.  
  
"So what?" she snapped. "He'll marry the old ball and chain - that's a fate worse than death in my book."  
  
Sesshomaru nodded shortly. "Let's leave this place, the human stench is making my ill."  
  
They followed him reluctantly, but they knew that their life in the cell was over... it was all over now.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Kagome was once again set to pacing the length of her room again. She couldn't believe it. He was really alive... but she was yet to touch him.  
  
There came a knock at the door and she sucked in a sharp breath and faced it. "Come in." she called hesitantly.  
  
The door opened and Inuyasha took two steps in, about to say something when Kagome launched herself at him in a flurry. At first he was concerned, seeing as she had just given him a few death threats, and her hands seemed to be aiming for his neck. But he quickly relaxed as she just threw her arms around his neck instead and squeezed him tightly.  
  
"Miss me?" he sighed, happily taking his time with folding his arms around her smaller frame and holding her against him tightly. He rested his cheek against the side of her head and inhaled deeply to take in the sweet smell of her hair... a smell that he had sorely missed while they'd been unable to touch. He knew she was doing exactly the same.  
  
"I forgot how great you smelled," she laughed happily as she nuzzled his neck and breathing in. "Don't ever leave me again!"  
  
"I promise," he cradled her head gently.  
  
"That's what you said last time." She reminded him, loosening her grip slightly so she could pull back and see his face.  
  
"Yeah, but I mean it this time." He sniffed. "Plus, you kinda smell of Miroku... I won't be leaving you any time soon."  
  
"That might be a problem." She pulled back completely. "I'm going tonight..."  
  
"Where to?" he asked quickly.  
  
"Mom's house... it's near the forest border..." she smiled slightly. "I'll get to see my brother and grandpa again - and I'm gonna attend school there as well."  
  
Inuyasha stared at her a moment before cupping her cheek and pulling her forward for a lingering kiss that sent that familiar thrill through her body. "Sorry," he said as he pulled back. "What were you saying?"  
  
Kagome sighed. "I'm going to go live with mom tonight... I'll be leaving for good."  
  
He frowned slightly before smiling. "Any spare rooms?"  
  
"You'd be willing to leave your father?" Kagome cocked her head. "But this is your home!"  
  
"So?" he shrugged. "My home is wherever you go, Kagome."  
  
"That's so sweet... I can't believe that just came out your mouth." She smiled.  
  
"But it's the truth." He smiled back. "I'll go with you... I could never leave you again."  
  
"Good," Kagome stood on tip-toe and kissed him on the nose. "Now that everything's all over and done with, I can live a happy normal life with my happy normal boyfriend."  
  
"Who's a half demon and a zombie." He winced. "I don't understand that part..."  
  
"I think I know why you're alive..." she smiled. "I'll tell you on the train - we should go see Sango and Miroku now."  
  
She pulled him out of the room and started walking with him to the elevator, just revelling in the opportunity to fold against his side and wrap her arm around his waist. It was just so natural, she couldn't believe she had coped with keeping her distance before.  
  
"I can't believe it's over." She said absently. "My whole life, I've been hiding from demons and bad people... and now I get to live with mom..."  
  
"But you're happy right?" he asked, squeezing his arm around her shoulder gently.  
  
Kagome smiled and leaned her head against him. She couldn't have been happier. She felt like she'd won the lottery and become the world's most famous girl, which in a way she had, but this felt a hundred times better because instead of winning the lottery, she'd won herself an Inuyasha, and she'd make she he wasn't going anywhere from now on.  
  
"I couldn't be happier." She sighed.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: awwww... see? Happy ending. 


End file.
